North Korea Criticizes US For Pursuing Sanctions, Calls It 'Source Of Mistrust'

Ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to North Korea, the country’s official newspaper Thursday criticized the United States for sticking on to its sanctions on Pyongyang. It said the sanctions were a source of growing mistrust and could possibly undermine any progress in denuclearization talks.

The Rodong Sinmun, North Korean ruling party’s official newspaper, said in a commentary, “There is nothing the U.S. could get from sanctions and it is no other than them who will be put at disadvantage. As we did in the past, we will never beg the U.S. to lift those sanctions."

It added denuclearization was a fruit that "grows on trust building" between the two countries and "sanctions are a major source of cause for our growing mistrust with the U.S,” Yonhap News Agency reported.

Pointing out its promises of permanently dismantling its Donchang-ri missile engine test site and launch pad, and possibly shutting down its Yongbyon nuclear facility that were made during the recently held summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the commentary said these clearly show its commitment to denuclearization and "good-will" and "reconciliatory" gestures.

"But the U.S. is coming up with a thorny stick of maintaining or intensifying sanctions. How senseless and rude they are! It is a consistent assessment by people that the U.S.' inappropriate attitude of talking only about sanctions are casting (a) shadow over efforts of building trust and improving relations, potentially bringing all things back to the starting point," the newspaper continued.

In a report of similar nature Tuesday, the online version of the newspaper stated, “China and Russia have expressed strong opposition to the unilateral sanctions under the U.S. law as regards the fact that the U.S. is intensifying the sanctions and pressure on the DPRK.”

It added during the Singapore summit held between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, the two nations promised to solidify their newly established relations for peace and prosperity of both the countries.

“But the U.S. is trying to go on imposing sanctions under the unreasonable pretext. What the U.S. should clearly know is that sanctions and pressure cannot work on the DPRK. Sanctions and dialogue can never go together. It is a contradiction that the U.S. is talking about the dialogue with its partner while ratcheting up sanctions and pressure on it. The U.S. should squarely see the trend of the times and make a proper choice,” the newspaper said.

Pompeo met North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho during the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26 and accepted the invitation to visit Pyongyang. The meeting is set for Oct 7, during which Pompeo plans to keep the denuclearization talks going and discuss a second summit between Trump and Kim.