North Korea News: Kim Jong Un Regime Threatens New Strategy Amid Stalled Nuclear Deal With US

North Korea on Tuesday threatened to pursue a “new path,” as nuclear negotiations with the United States remain stalled. Pyongyang had set a year-end deadline for a nuclear deal, which would remove some of the debilitating sanctions from the North Korean economy.

“As it became clear now that the U.S. remains unchanged in its ambition to block the development of the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] and stifle its political system, we found no reason to be unilaterally bound any longer by the commitment that the other party fails to honor,” Ju Yong Chol, a counselor at North Korea’s mission to the U.N., said at the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament.

“If the United States tries to enforce unilateral demands and persists in imposing sanctions, North Korea may be compelled to seek a new path,” Ju said.

Kim Jong Un's government stated earlier this month that it felt “deceived” by Washington over nuclear negotiations. The comments came after U.S. national security adviser Robert O’Brien called for North Korea to restart diplomatic discussions.

The last time U.S. and North Korean negotiators met was in Sweden in October, but talks fell through on the first day of meetings. In December, North Korea promised the U.S. a “Christmas gift,” which security analysts believed was a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). North Korea did not follow through on its promise.

“In the past two years, the DPRK took the initiative by taking crucial measures to halt nuclear tests, (halt) test firing of ICBMs and dismantle the nuclear testing ground in order to build confidence with the United States,” Ju added. He said that the U.S. has tried to provoke North Korea by planning joint military exercises with South Korea, which Pyongyang views as preparation for an invasion.

The U.S. postponed the military exercises in November in a concession to North Korea. The North Korean government has demanded that the Pentagon call off the drills entirely.

Former national security adviser John Bolton has said that North Korea would never give up its nuclear arsenal, while Democrats have criticized the Trump administration’s leniency towards Pyongyang.