In its first direct criticism of the Trump administration, North Korea lashed out at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling it a “rogue” state and warned that such “coarse and nonsensical remarks” will never contribute to US interests.
“The hostile words and deeds of the person who is in charge of the US foreign policy served as an occasion of confirming once again the US hostile policy toward the DPRK which remains unchanged,” the Foreign Ministry said.
They took issue with what the ministry called Rubio’s branding of North Korea as a “rogue” state.
It likely referred to Rubio’s appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show on Jan 30, in which he called North Korea and Iran “rogue states” as he addressed foreign policy challenges.
It was not the first time US officials described North Korea as a rogue state. But the North’s latest statement suggests the country won’t likely quickly embrace Trump’s overture.
During a Fox News interview on Jan 23, Trump called Kim “a smart guy” and “not a religious zealot”. Asked whether he will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, “I will, yeah.”
Trump’s comments raised prospects for a possible revival of diplomacy between the United States and North Korea, as Trump met Kim three times during his first term to discuss how to end Kim’s nuclear programme.
North Korea hasn’t directly responded to Trump’s interview comments. But it has maintained its confrontational rhetoric against the US and continued its weapons testing activities.
Last week, Kim visited a facility to produce nuclear materials and called for boosting North Korea’s nuclear capability in the face of what he called challenges posed by “hostile forces,” an apparent reference to the US and South Korea.
The previous diplomacy with Trump likely gave Kim a propaganda coup for winning the much-needed recognition of his government on the world stage.
But the eventual collapse of diplomacy was still a huge embarrassment.
Kim has since then focused on perfecting nuclear-capable missiles targeting the US and South Korea. — AP
