A senior North Korean diplomat fired back at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday after the U.S. official called the nation’s behavior “rogue,” warning that hopes for talks between Washington and Pyongyang are fading.
North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui denounced Pompeo’s “thoughtless” comments and cautioned that the U.S. shouldn’t put North Korea’s “patience to the test” if officials want to see a mutually satisfactory agreement between the two nations, The Associated Press reports.
“Our expectations of dialogue with the U.S. are gradually disappearing and we are being pushed to re-examine all the measures we have taken so far,” Choe said in a statement carried by state media.{mosads}
“We are very curious about the background of the American top diplomat’s thoughtless remarks and we will watch what calculations he has. The U.S. had better not put any longer our patience to the test with such remarks irritating us if it doesn’t want to have bitter regrets afterward,” Choe added.
Choe’s comments come after Pompeo said Tuesday that the Trump administration recognized that “North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored.”
“Americanism — it means telling the truth about the challenges we face,” Pompeo said. “Look, this administration didn’t pretend that the Islamic Republic of Iran was a responsible actor in the Middle East. We called out China’s bad behavior on trade and on national security. We recognized that North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored.”
Washington has urged Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear program, but talks have not advanced since a summit in Vietnam in February ended early without a deal.
President Trump has expressed optimism that he could reach a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after a historic meeting in June at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, but Pyongyang has launched a series of short-range projectiles since their June meeting, stoking fears that hopes for an agreement on denuclearization could be fading.