A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea released the following press statement on Tuesday:

The DPRK-U.S. summit meeting and talks held in Singapore in June last year for the first time in history was a momentous occasion of great significance in promoting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the region and advancing the historic trend of reconciliation and cooperation.

The June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement adopted at the DPRK-U.S. summit meeting and talks enjoyed full support and approval of all countries and peoples across the world, as it proved in practice that even the countries with the most hostile relations could lay out an avenue for establishing new relations once they make politically decisive steps to defend peace and stability, giving these issues a top priority.

As is acknowledged by the international society at large, the government of the DPRK has exerted ceaseless efforts over the past year to establish new DPRK-U.S. relations, build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean peninsula and achieve denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, as has been stipulated in the June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement, and also made every possible endeavor such as taking practical initiatives that require strategically decisive measures.

However, it is regrettable to see that the United States has become ever more undisguised during the past year in its scheme to annihilate us by force while deliberately turning its face away from the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement and only insisting on our unilateral surrender of nuclear weapons.

At the second DPRK-U.S. summit talks held in Hanoi amid the great interest and expectation of the entire world, the United States made the biggest mistake of having missed a lifetime opportunity by insisting on "dismantlement of the nuke first." This overshadows the future of the DPRK-U.S. talks.

Had the United States done anything of a little help in addressing the issues on the basis of serious position and sincere attitude for implementing the DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement, the issue of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula might also have seen much progress.

In his historic policy speech, Comrade Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said that given the persistence of deep-rooted hostility between the DPRK and the U.S., it is necessary for implementation of the June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement that both sides give up their unilateral demands and find a constructive solution which would meet each other's interest. And he said that to this end, it is requisite for the U.S. to fold its current method of calculation and approach us with a new one.

The June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement is the commitment which the two countries have pledged to the world and the humankind, and it is the task both sides should be jointly accountable for.

The DPRK remains unchanged in its stand and will to cherish and implement in good faith the June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement personally signed by the supreme leaders of the DPRK and the U.S. at the first-ever DPRK-U.S. summit talks.

However, if the U.S., a dialogue partner, fails to carry out its obligation and keeps resorting to anti-DPRK hostile policy, the fate of the June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement will not be promising.

Whether the June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement will remain effective or turn out to be a mere blank sheet of paper will now be determined by how the U.S. would respond to our fair and reasonable stand.

Nearly one year now since the declaration of the historic June 12 DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement, the U.S. should duly look back on the past one year and cogitate about which will be a correct strategic choice before it is too late.

The U.S. would be well-advised to change its current method of calculation and respond to our request as soon as possible.

There is a limit to our patience.

Rodong Sinmun