‘The US better hold its tongue’: North Korea

North Korea.

Seoul: In a daring verbal attack, North Korea asked the US to refrain from commenting on inter-Korean affairs if it wants the upcoming presidential election to be held smoothly.

“The US better hold its tongue and mind its internal affairs first if it doesn’t want to experience a hair-raiser. It would be good not only for the US interests but also for the easy holding of its upcoming presidential election,” Kwon Jong-gun, Director General of the North Korean foreign ministry’s American affairs department, said.

His remarks came after Washington voiced disappointment over Pyongyang’s recent decision to cut off all communication links with South Korea.

“If the US pokes its nose into others’ affairs with careless remarks, far from minding its internal affairs, at a time when its political situation is in the worst-ever confusion, it may encounter an unpleasant thing hard to deal with,” Kwon said in an interview with North’s state-run, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

He added that the US is showing a hypocritical attitude by expressing dissatisfaction over the latest inter-Korean situations given that Washington has been the one bent on hampering any progress.

“Disgusting is the double-dealing attitudes of the US that feels uneasy over any slightest sign of the improvement in the inter-Korean relations and pretends to get very anxious if the relations get worse.

“How can the ‘disappointment’ touted by the US be compared with the extreme dismay and resentment we are feeling at the US and the South Korean authorities that have repeated betrayal and provocation for the last 2 years?” Kwon asked.

Hardly any progress has been made in dismantling the North’s nuclear weapons program after a series of historic summits in 2018 and 2019 between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang has expressed increasing frustration with Washington’s refusal to ease sanctions and has blamed Seoul for taking a cue from the US on cross-border issues. Also, the North has not responded to Seoul’s offers for talks and cooperation.

North Korea called the South an “enemy” and cut off all inter-Korean communication lines.

Image courtesy of IANS

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