North Korea’s top diplomat accuses US of ‘attitude to retreat’ from peace process

North Korea’s top diplomat accused the United States of “showing the attitude to retreat” from the peace process on the Korean peninsula, hours after China claimed positive progress had been made in recent months.

At a closed-door session during the Asean summit, top diplomats – including from China, the US, North and South Korea – held “brutally frank” conversations about the Korean peninsula, said Vivian Balakrishnan, foreign minister of host Singapore, during closing remarks on Saturday evening.

Speaking earlier in the day on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US had warned China and Russia to strictly enforce UN sanctions on North Korea.

“Any violation that detracts from the world’s goal of finally, fully denuclearising North Korea would be something that America would take very seriously,” Pompeo said, citing reports that showed Russia was allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers.

Pompeo added that he had spoken with Chinese officials at the security summit about enforcing the sanctions, and “they made clear their commitment to do that”.

Hours later, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told his counterparts he had been alarmed by the US attitude towards his country, saying Pyongyang had taken “goodwill measures” by suspending nuclear tests and missile launches and dismantling its key testing site.