North Korea on Friday said that it was still open to talks with the United States despite US President Donald Trump's threat of military action after cancelling their June 12 summit in Singapore.
Pyongyang described the US president's decision to pull the plug on the highly anticipated meeting as "extremely regrettable".
"The abrupt announcement of the cancellation of the meeting is unexpected for us and we cannot but find it extremely regrettable," Kim Kye Gwan, North Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister, said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.
"We again state to the US our willingness to sit face-to-face at any time in any form to resolve the problem", it added.
Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that the US military was 'ready if necessary' to react with its allies if North Korea undertake any 'foolish or reckless acts'.
In a letter to Kim, Trump announced he would not go ahead with the high-stakes meeting set for June 12 in Singapore, following what the White House called a "trail of broken promises" by the North.
“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used,” Trump added.
Just before Trump announced the cancellation of the talks, North Korea declared it had "completely" dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed as a goodwill gesture ahead of the summit.
On Thursday Pyongyang hardened its rhetoric by attacking US Vice President Mike Pence as "ignorant and stupid". That comment appeared to hit a nerve with Trump, leading to him abruptly pulling out of the talks.
"Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting," read Trump's letter to Kim.
Latest World News
