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Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The North Korean diplomat on U.S.-North Korea negotiations praised President Donald Trump on Friday for replacing former national security adviser John Bolton. Kim Myong Gil, Pyongyang's chief negotiator, said Trump made a "wise political decision" on Bolton and that "U.S.-North Korea negotiations may now take place," Pyongyang's state-controlled news agency KCNA reported.
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The comments came the same day a pro-Pyongyang paper in Japan, the Choson Sinbo, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remains the last "source of instability."
On Friday, Kim said Trump's decision to dismiss Bolton from the White House shows respect for North Korea.
Last week after Bolton's departure, Trump said he and his aide had North Korea-related disputes. Bolton "made some very big mistakes when he talked about the Libyan model" for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"You just take a look at what happened with [Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi]. That was not a good statement to make. And it set us back," Trump said, after saying he did not blame the North Korean leader for wanting "nothing to do" with Bolton.
Kim Myong Gil said Friday he "read with interest" reports of Trump's remarks on Bolton and the Libyan model.
"As the senior representative on North Korea-U.S. talks, I welcome the wise political decision of President Trump, to take a more pragmatic approach," he said.
The North Korean diplomat said he is satisfied with the exit of Bolton, a "cumbersome troublemaker," who held onto "anachronistic ideas."
Kim also said if the United States had remained indecisive and inflexible as in previous administrations, this would be a "direct threat to U.S. security."
"No one can deny that," he said.
North Korea could also be seeking other changes in the Trump administration. The Choson Sinbo in Japan, which reflects the views of the Kim regime, said Friday Pompeo remains a source of instability, a "disruptor" in past negotiations.
