N Korea rejects US top diplomat's proposal for dialogue
SEOUL: North Korea yesterday rejected United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's proposal for dialogue without preconditions, saying it has no interest in Washington's scheme to make it give up its nuclear programme.
Mr Tillerson said last week that the US is ready to begin talks with North Korea "without preconditions" in a possible shift of US policy.
But days later, after an apparent rebuke from the White House, he said that the North should halt its "threatening behaviour" before talks can begin, backpedalling on his previous remarks.
The Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said that nothing has changed in its stance of pursuing nuclear weapons, regardless of whether Washington offers talks without strings attached.
"The US is trying to shift responsibility for tensions on the Korean Peninsula to us with its dialogue offensive," the newspaper said.
"The move is seen as being intended to set the tone for manipulating new UN Security Council resolutions that may include a maritime blockade if we do not accept dialogue aimed at discussing the abandonment of our nuclear weapons."
North Korea made it clear that it will not put its nuclear weapons and missiles on the negotiation table if the US does not ditch its hostile policy towards Pyongyang.
"There is no change in our stance that we will not budge an inch in our march toward strengthening our nuclear force," it said.
Tensions have heightened after North Korea fired a missile late last month that could reach the US mainland. - THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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