Pompeo is ‘the diehard toxin of US diplomacy’, can’t fix ties with Pyongyang – N. Korean FM
North Korea launched another verbal attack on Mike Pompeo, calling him an “impudent person” whose “thoughtlessness” won’t bring Pyongyang and Washington any closer to a long-awaited deal.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho gave his take on his American counterpart in a rare comment to state-run KCNA, calling him the “diehard toxin of the US diplomacy,” who has consistently used “hackneyed sanctions rhetoric.”
Secretary of State Pompeo insists that sweeping US sanctions must remain in place until North Korea disposes of its nuclear arsenals. According to Ri, his approach is unlikely to work because his “thoughtless words... only leave us disappointed and sceptical as to whether we can solve any problem with such a guy.”
All things to which Pompeo thrusts himself into go wrong and end up in failure though they showed signs of positive developments.
Pyongyang has already expressed unease over Pompeo spearheading denuclearization talks, calling for him to be replaced with someone “who can communicate more cautiously and more maturely,” and warning that if he engages in the negotiations again, “the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled.”
Talks have been at an impasse since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walked out of their second meeting in Hanoi in February without reaching a deal. The two briefly met in the Demilitarized Zone in June and agreed to restart the dialogue, but the meeting was largely symbolic and did not yield any tangible results.
Later in the month, the Trump administration extended restrictions on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs by one year. At the time, Pompeo claimed that more than 80 percent of the reclusive state’s economy has been hit by the sanctions.
Meanwhile, North Korea has carried out a slew of short-range missile tests in recent weeks to protest the annual US-South Korea joint military drills that it sees as a direct threat to national security.
North Korea signaled its frustration in reaching out to the US last week, with a government spokesman saying that Pyongyang has “no interest” in dialogue unless Washington stops “escalating hostile military moves.”
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