North Korea: US Not Upholding Spirit of Dialogue

North Korea issued a forceful statement Thursday against what it said were elements of the US government which are not adhering to the spirit of the dialogue established by US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Singapore summit in June.

Pyongyang said while it had taken “such practical denuclearization steps as discontinuing nuclear test and ICBM test fire” and “broadminded measures” like the repatriation of US Korean War remains, “the US responded to our expectation by inciting international sanctions and pressure against [North Korea],” reported CNN.

The statement, credited to North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, notably did not blame Trump but singled out “some high-level officials within the US administration” who it said were going against the president’s will. It also echoed criticism of previous administrations’ approaches to North Korea that Trump himself has made.

The statement seems intended to hit a target audience in the US, being released in English by North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York, rather than just through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the usual avenue for government announcements. The statement was also published by KCNA.

North Korea’s criticism of the US comes after Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton said this week that the administration does not feel Pyongyang is living up to its end of the deal.

Bolton is a longtime Korea hawk and had been a critic of talking with North Korea before Trump opened diplomatic relations. Speaking to CNN on Monday, he said “we’re waiting for the North Koreans to begin the process of denuclearization, which they committed to in Singapore and which they’ve not yet done.”