North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in his New Year message sent a strong warning to the United States and stated that it wants good relations with Washington, but could consider a change of approach if it maintains its sanctions.
"If the US does not keep its promise made in front of the whole world... and insists on sanctions and pressures on our republic," Kim said Tuesday, "we may be left with no choice but to consider a new way to safeguard our sovereignty and interests", he said.
Expressing his wish to hold talks with Trump again, Kim said; "to produce a result that will be welcomed by the international community".
Kim and Trump vowed to work towards denuclearisation and build a “lasting and stable” peace regime at their landmark summit in Singapore in June, but little progress has been made since and satellite images have indicated continued activity at North Korea’s nuclear and missile facilities.
Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions and declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War in response to its initial, unilateral steps toward denuclearisation, including dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility.
Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. He also made a nationalistic call urging for stronger inter-Korean cooperation and said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the North's Diamond Mountain resort.
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