N. KOREA'S STANCE ON U.S.

[Anchor Lead]

Two days ago, North Korean leader ordered the removal of South Korean facilities in the Kumgangsan Mountain area. Meanwhile, North Korean diplomat Kim Kye-gwan issued a statement yesterday emphasizing Pyongyang's close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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​The statement issued by North Korea's Foreign Ministry adviser Kim Kye-gwan begins by mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks.

[Soundbite] DONALD TRUMP(U.S. PRESIDENT(OCT. 22 KOREA TIME))

North Korea's response to Trump's statement was issued in just two days. Kim Kye-gwan said the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. have a good relationship and solid trust in each other. The statement added that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also called his relationship with Donald Trump "quite special." Kim Kye-gwan expressed hope that the two leaders' close relationship would create a momentum to advance bilateral ties between Pyongyang and Washington. However, he pointed out that the U.S. officials in charge of North Korea policies were the source of the problem. He criticized them for their old cold-war era thinking and said they still view North Korea as an adversary. Wrapping up his statement, Kim Kye-gwan cited the proverb, "Where there's a will, there's a way," adding that he would like to see whether or not the U.S. will spend the remainder of the year in a wise way. The North Korean diplomat's statement comes 19 days after the North Korea-U.S. working level talks in Sweden. It is seen as a move to pressure Washington to change its stance.

[Soundbite] SUNG KI-YOUNG(INST. FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY) : "This represents Pyongyang's discontent over Washington's failure to present a satisfactory solution. It shows that the North is desperate to create a momentum by the end of the year."

Kim Kye-gwan, the predecessor of First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui, acts as a messenger between Pyongyang and Washington. He issued statements after each important event, such as the first North Korea-U.S. Summit and the Sweden talks, to convey Kim Jong-un's thoughts to the U.S. President Donald Trump.