N.Korea Loses 'Interest in Dialogue' with U.S.

North Korea has thrown another hissy fit after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on it to return to the negotiating table and denuclearize.

A North Korean official fumed that Pompeo's "irrelevant" and "reckless" remarks caused the regime to lose "interest in dialogue."

In a press conference after last week's meeting of G7 foreign ministers, Pompeo urged G7 countries to abide by sanctions against the North. "The G7 and all nations must remain united in calling on North Korea to return to negotiations and stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure over its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs," he said.

The regime's response came on Monday in the form of a statement from the new director in charge of negotiations with the U.S. at the North Korean Foreign Ministry. "No matter how excellent and firm the relationship between the top leaders of the two countries is, it cannot reverse the U.S. hostile policy towards [North Korea]," the official said.

Washington's call for resumption of dialogue is nothing but "a decoy to keep us from going our own way," he said and added, "We'll go our way."

Pompeo's "reckless remarks impaired the signboard of dialogue put up by the U.S. president... We dropped interest in dialogue with further conviction, but have become more zealous for our important planned projects aimed to repay the U.S. with actual horror and unrest for the sufferings it has inflicted upon our people."

But pundits here said that the statement contained nothing new except that it was issued by the new director of American affairs and speculate that the outburst was paradoxically a call for negotiations.