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North Korea media accuses U.S. of 'hanging on' to economic, military pressure

By Elizabeth Shim
President Donald Trump (L) and Kim Jong Un (R) have not met since the collapse of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Vietnam. File Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA-EFE
President Donald Trump (L) and Kim Jong Un (R) have not met since the collapse of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Vietnam. File Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA-EFE

June 13 (UPI) -- North Korea suggested Thursday the United States is lacking in sincerity because of economic sanctions against Pyongyang.

North Korea propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri said Thursday, a day after the one-year anniversary of the Singapore summit, the United States has talked up dialogue while "hanging on relentlessly to political, economic and military pressure."

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The article ran under the headline, "Submission only encourages arrogance." It claimed the United States was at the center of a "disgraceful" situation, and that Washington was compromising the South Korean government.

"As a dialogue partner, [the United States] does not recognize its own responsibility while worsening the situation, and interfering in inter-Korea issues as they please," North Korea media stated. "The arrogant actions of the United States are an insult to the Korean people's dignity and sovereignty that we cannot tolerate."

The article also used the metaphor of a "small family business" to describe how the United States is "meddling around" in inter-Korean "family" affairs.

The statement comes after President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House he received a "beautiful" letter from the North Korean leader and that he is confident Kim Jong Un will follow through on denuclearization.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in has quickly responded with suggestions for a fourth inter-Korea summit, in preparation for a possible meeting between Trump and Kim after the G20 summit in Japan.

North Korea military activities may be ongoing, however.

U.S. analysts writing on 38 North say North Korea's submarine building activities continue at Sinpo South Shipyard.

The submarine under construction could be "another SINPO-class ballistic missile submarine," write Jack Liu and Peter Makowsky.

Cranes that "facilitate loading lightweight supplies" down submarine hatches were also being installed between April 11 and May 5, according to commercial satellite imagery analysis.

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