U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is blaming North Korea's "rogue" behavior for the stall in negotiations on dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program.
Britain, France and Germany have also condemned the regime at the UN Security Council for their recent missile launches,.... the second time they've done so in less than a month.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
In a speech at the National Convention of the American Legion in Indianapolis on Tuesday,... U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hit out at North Korea's "rogue" behavior amid stalled talks on dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program.
While Pompeo stressed the U.S. has "galvanized global support to denuclearize North Korea",... he stopped short of mentioning the international sanctions that are on the regime.
The talks have stalled since the two sides failed to agree to Washington's demands for complete denuclearization and Pyeongyang's demands for sanctions relief during the second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi earlier this year.
Last week,... North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho slammed Pompeo, calling him "the diehard toxin of U.S. diplomacy",... and adding the U.S. would be "sadly mistaken" if it planned to maintain sanctions on the North.
Despite the verbal tit-for-tat,... Washington has continued to express hope that Pyeongyang will return to the negotiating table,.. in line with a June 30th agreement between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.
In New York on Tuesday,.. Britain, France and Germany condemned North Korea's recent missile launches in a statement issued after a closed-door session of the UN Security Council.
The three countries were referring to the regime's seven rounds of missile tests since late July.
It's the second time the countries have condemned the North in less than a month.
The statement urges Pyeongyang "to engage in meaningful negotiations with the U.S",... adding that "international sanctions must remain in place and be fully and strictly enforced until North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs are dismantled."
The U.S. did not sign to either of the statements,.. possibly in a bid to avoid any action that could hurt efforts to resume denuclearization talks with the regime.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
