N. KOREA CRITICIZES U.S. FOR REMARKS ON REGIME

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North Korea has criticized U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his remarks vowing to continue pressure on the regime. Pyongyang said it will give up its desire to engage in dialogue with Washington and go its own way. The statement was issued under the title of a "department director general for negotiations with the U.S.," which is the first of its kind.

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​On Monday, North Korea lashed out at U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, through a statement issued by the regime's "new department director general for negotiations with the U.S.," Washington's top diplomat recently said after a G7 conference call, that countries must unite to have Pyongyang return to nuclear dialogue and need to exert pressure against its development of nuclear weapons and missiles. The North argued that Pompeo's reckless remarks made the regime lose willingness to hold talks with the U.S. Pyongyang claims it confirmed that even the excellent and firm relationship between the two side's leaders cannot change the hostile U.S. policy on North Korea. The communist state emphasized, it has become more zealous with its projects to repay the U.S. with fear and insecurity for the pain and suffering it inflicted on North Korea. It warned that Washington will suffer the consequences if it provokes the North. The statement appears to brush off any possibility of resuming bilateral dialogue. But some pundits believe the statement can't be understood at face value. The fact that North Korea created the new post of a department director general for negotiations with the U.S. indicates it has dialogue with Washington in mind.

[Soundbite] PROF. LIM EUL-CHUL(UNIVERSITY OF N. KOREAN STUDIES) : "It can be interpreted as a message to the U.S. not to provoke N. Korea if it wants to resume dialogue."

So far, the regime fired short range projectiles four times this month and is not responding to gestures from South Korea and the U.S. on seeking cooperation in COVID-19 quarantine efforts.