North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued the statement hours after the country announced it had test-fired a new tactical guided weapon, in its first public weapons test since a summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un abruptly ended.
By Simon Denyer Simon Denyer Tokyo bureau chief covering Japan, North Korea and South Korea. Email Bio Follow April 18 at 4:27 AM TOKYO — North Korea’s Foreign Ministry no longer wants to talk to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asking for him to replaced in nuclear talks with someone who “is more careful and mature in communicating,” state media reported on Thursday.
This is not the first time Pompeo has felt the heat of North Korean ire: He was accused of making “gangster-like demands” last July shortly after a visit to Pyongyang. But North Korea has been careful to avoid direct criticism of President Trump, perhaps believing he is more likely to make concessions if he is flattered.
Earlier Thursday, North Korea announced it had test-fired a new tactical guided weapon, in its first public weapons test since the summit. Kim was quoted as saying that “the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power of the People’s Army.”
Lee Jong-Seok, a former South Korean unification minister who is now at the Sejong Institute, said the latest announcement sent a message to Washington but did not cross the line. In a speech last week, Kim said he would be prepared to meet Trump for a third summit, but only if the United States fundamentally changed its approach. He also warned that his patience was running out and gave the United States until the end of the year to make a “bold decision.”
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