North Korea on Tuesday said that the US State Department report released last week describing Pyongyang as a sponsor of "terrorism" is an example of a "hostile policy" by Washington and it is preventing denuclearisation talks from progressing.
On November 1, the US State Department published its "Country Reports on Terrorism 2018" and reaffirmed North Korea's redesignation as a state sponsor of "terrorism."
Rejecting the report as "grave politically-motivated provocation," North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said: "This proves once again that the US preoccupied with inveterate repugnancy toward (North Korea) is invariably seeking its hostile policy towards the latter," Voice of America reported quoting the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
It added, "The channel of the dialogue between the DPRK and the US is more and more narrowing due to such attitude and stand of the US."
"It is an 'insult' that the US would issue the terrorism report, especially while US-North Korea dialogue is at a stalemate," the Ministry said.
North Korea and the US held talks in October for the first time since Pyongyang and Washington agreed in June to reopen denuclearisation negotiations. However, North Korea walked away, saying the US failed to show flexibility.
More From This Section
North Korean officials on October 27 warned the United States that Pyongyang will only wait till the end of the year before coming up with what they called "a courageous decision".
Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the NK's Workers' Party, said that it would be a mistake for Washington to ignore the year-end deadline provided to further the nuclear negotiations process.
North Korea has repeatedly insisted that the removal of penalties will help spur economic growth, while the US has reaffirmed that sanctions will not be removed until the communist country completely stops its nuclear weapons programme.