North Korea says hostile US policy unchanged, nuclear arms to keep growing

SEOUL – North Korea said on Monday (Aug 31) the United States’ hostile policy remained unchanged and vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear force, rejecting repeated US calls for its denuclearisation.In a statement carried by state media KCNA, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Washington of maintaining a confrontational stance through its commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, criticism of the country’s human rights record and planned joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.”The Trump administration has thus fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK,” the spokesperson said, using the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.The spokesperson said North Korea’s nuclear weapons were “an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty” and that its nuclear status would not be weakened by repeated US denuclearisation demands.The spokesperson also said expecting any easing of regional tensions was “pointless”.