TOKYO, June 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker warned Friday that Washington has become tired of North Korea's "serial provocation" over its nuclear weapons program.
The Japan Times reported that Baker urged the reclusive state to agree to a second round of multilateral talks.
"Sooner or later, patience expires," Baker said in a lecture at a Tokyo hotel. "I wonder if our friends in North Korea understand how close they may come to that."
He said the international community has been "remarkably patient" with Pyongyang's provocative stance, which he added was simply calculated to challenge the U.S., South Korea, Japan and other countries.
"I wonder if the North Korean government understands what a deadly serious game they are playing," he said.
During a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and China in April, North Korea claimed it possessed nuclear arms and said it has reprocessed 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods.
