North Korea 'moving in' new residents at hot springs resort

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- North Korea completed construction at Yangdok County Hot Springs Resort and is moving in new residents, according to state media.

DPRK Today said new houses have been built at a farming village in a hot springs tourist zone in Yangdok. Meetings took place on Sunday in the county to "grant residential licenses."

Farmers and residents "received congratulations" from builders for their new state-granted homes and held "housewarming parties," state media said.

Yangdok County Hot Springs Resort is a priority project for Kim Jong Un. Kim visited the resort in August, when he told his subordinates to have the resort in operation by December to offer "recreation and medical treatment."

Kim has stressed economic development, but economic reform has not led to greater openness toward the outside world.

Pyongyang was also not able to reach an agreement on denuclearization with the United States over the weekend during working-level talks in Sweden.

South Korean news service EDaily reported Monday analysts say North Korea is biding time and attempting to extract additional concessions from the United States, including sanctions relief, before complete denuclearization.

North Korea's chief negotiator Kim Myong Gil said Sunday the United States did not offer a "new calculation method," something Pyongyang had demanded ahead of talks.

At Beijing's international airport on Monday Kim Myong Gil told reporters the talks were "disgusting" and that "future talks depend on the United States."

The North Korean official also rejected reports the two sides would meet again in two weeks. He blamed the Trump administration for not offering a new proposal since the brief summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un at Panmunjom in June.

"Go ask the United States," Kim Myong Gil said, when reporters in Beijing asked him about next steps, according to EDaily.