Choe Son Hui, first vice minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, issued the following statement on March 17:

The US has tried to contact us since mid-February through several routes, including New York.

It has recently requested to contact us by sending e-mails and telephone messages via various routes. Even in the evening before it started the joint military drill, it sent a message of imploring us to respond to its request through a third country.

But we think it unnecessary to respond to its play-for-the-time trick again.

We have already declared our stand that no DPRK-US contact and dialogue of any kind would be possible unless the US rolls back its policy hostile towards the DPRK. Therefore, we will disregard such an attempt in the future, too.

In order for a dialogue to be held, such an atmosphere must be created that both parties can sit face to face to exchange words on an equal basis.

But what has been heard from the US since the emergence of the new regime is only lunatic theory of “threat from north Korea” and groundless rhetoric about “complete denuclearization”.

The White House, the Department of State, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Justice, etc. reeled off a spate of rhetoric that the US is still greatly concerned about deterring north Korea and it is now examining what kind of means are to be used including additional sanctions and diplomatic incentives. They have maintained high-handed posture, convening an international conference unfavourable to us, making public “joint alert” and bringing an indictment against us.

The US military keeps stealthily posing military threat to us and committing spying acts against us with the involvement of lots of reconnaissance assets. It also openly started aggressive-minded joint military exercises targeting us, despite concern of and opposition from the public from at home and abroad.

It seems that the US has not yet dropped the habit of doggedly faulting the DPRK.

Even in reference to the national epidemic prevention measures taken by us, it made such thoughtless words that they hinder “humanitarian aids”.

The US State Secretary during his visit to Japan spoke loudly of various pressurizing means and some tough means, claiming that they are all now under reexamination, which seriously gets on our nerves. We are curious about what senseless rhetoric he would make in south Korea to the surprise of the world.

If the US wants so much to sit even once with us face to face, it has to drop its bad habit and take a proper stand from the beginning.

We will keep tabs on all ill deeds the new US regime is engrossed in.

It had better drop the cheap trick of employing the DPRK-US contact as a means for gaining time and building up the public opinion.

It will be only a waste of time to sit with the US as it is not ready to feel and accept new change and new times.

We make it clear that we will not give it such opportunities as in Singapore and Hanoi again.

We will readily react to the sanctions leverage which the US has often applied.

It had better contemplate what we would do in the face of its continued policy hostile towards us.

We have already clarified that we will approach the US on the principle of power for power and goodwill for goodwill.

KCNA