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| North Korea official rejects Trump meeting with Kim Jong-un as 'nonsense' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A senior North Korean official has dismissed Donald Trump’s proposal to meet the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, as a “kind of propaganda or advertisement” in the election race. | A senior North Korean official has dismissed Donald Trump’s proposal to meet the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, as a “kind of propaganda or advertisement” in the election race. |
| Last week, Trump said he would be willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation. | Last week, Trump said he would be willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation. |
| “It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his [Trump’s] idea or talk is nonsense,” So Se-pyong, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters on Monday. | “It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his [Trump’s] idea or talk is nonsense,” So Se-pyong, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters on Monday. |
| “It’s for utilisation of the presidential election, that’s all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement,” he added. “This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election.” | “It’s for utilisation of the presidential election, that’s all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement,” he added. “This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election.” |
| North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions. | North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions. |
| So, who is also North Korea’s ambassador to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear program. China and Russia backed the idea, but the US and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said. | So, who is also North Korea’s ambassador to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear program. China and Russia backed the idea, but the US and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said. |
| “As a responsible nuclear state … we never use them first,” So said. “If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one.” | “As a responsible nuclear state … we never use them first,” So said. “If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one.” |
| But he added: “As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology.” | But he added: “As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology.” |