has warned of “dark and very dangerous” prospects unless the US changes its policy by the end of the year, according to state media.
The North Korean leader issued the deadline as he accused Donald Trump’s administration of “open hostile moves” during a speech in Pyongyang on Friday. He said he would only agree to further talks at a third summit if the US has the “right attitude”.
“The US is further escalating the hostility to us with each passing day despite its suggestion for settling the issue through dialogue,” said Kim. “It is as foolish and dangerous an act as trying to put out fire with oil. To this end, it is essential for the US to quit its current calculation method and approach us with new one.”
He added: “We will wait for a bold decision from the US with patience till the end of this year but I think it will definitely be difficult to get such a good opportunity as the previous summit. What is clear is that if the US persists in its present political calculation method, the prospect of solving the issues will be dark and very dangerous.”
Kim gave two examples of “open hostile” US policy — a recent test simulating the interception of an intercontinental ballistic missile from and the resumption of military exercises in the area. “These seriously rattle us,” he added, according to the KCNA agency. “As wind is bound to bring waves, the US open hostile policy towards the DPRK (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) will naturally bring our corresponding acts.”
During the speech, titled “On Socialist Construction and the Internal and External Policies of the Government of the Republic at the Present Stage”, Kim insisted his relations with President Donald Trump were still good.
The two leaders have met twice, in Singapore in June 2018 and in in February, but failed to agree on a deal to lift sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile problems. Trump has indicated he is open to a third summit but said on Thursday he wanted sanctions to remain in place.
The North Korean leader responded in his speech: “The United States is talking a lot about holding a third US-DPRK summit meeting, but we are neither pleased nor willing to see a summit like the Hanoi summit reenacted. But as President Trump continues to mention, the personal relations between me and President Trump are not as hostile as the relations between the two countries, and we still have a good relationship, and if we want, we can send and receive letters asking for each other’s regards any time.”
The North Korean leader added that if the US were to ask for a third summit, it would be “with the condition that the US has the right attitude and finds a methodology that can be shared with us, we would be willing to try one more time”.
Trump responded to the speech with two tweets saying that a “third summit would be good”. He wrote: “I agree with Kim Jong-un of North Korea that our personal relationship remains very good, perhaps the term excellent would be even more accurate, and that a third Summit would be good in that we fully understand where we each stand.
“North Korea has tremendous potential for extraordinary growth, economic success and riches under the leadership of Chairman Kim. I look forward to the day, which could be soon, when Nuclear Weapons and Sanctions can be removed, and then watching North Korea become one of the most successful nations of the World!”
Since the breakdown of talks in Hanoi, Trump has blamed the failure on his former lawyer Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony while North Korea has been accused of rebuilding a missile site it promised would be scrapped.