North Korean Media Says US 'Untrustworthy,’ Criticizes Negotiation Pressure Tactic

North Korean propaganda outlet DPRK Today criticized the United States for pushing the country to "denuclearization" with "maximum pressure.” An article published Monday stated these were "medieval-era" tactics that would never work on the country.

The report stated the U.S. and North Korea had agreed to improve relations during the June summit. However, the article added, now it seemed like Washington had forgotten the objective and basic theme of the summit — denuclearization through peaceful means — and was now trying to achieve it through maximum pressure.

The report further claimed the U.S. continued to hold joint military exercises with Japan, which has had bitter relations with North Korea. Apart from bringing down the number of joint military exercises with South Korea, the report added, Trump administration was also using nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and strategic bombers — which would be deployed in the Korean peninsula — to pressure North Korea more.

According to the outlet, the U.S.’ move was an extension of the country’s medieval manner of thinking — using barbarianism to force and threaten opponents. The media outlet also stated the U.S. needed to realize such formulas of military pressure do not work on North Korea.

The outlet emphasized the last time they talked to the U.S., their army had more power and they had not succumbed to the pressures.

It concluded by calling U.S. “untrustworthy nation and the enemy of peaceful destruction.”

This was not the first time North Korea’s propaganda websites have criticized the U.S. Earlier this month, Uriminzokkir, a website controlled by North Korean government stated in a commentary the U.S. was interfering “with the internal problems of our nation” and criticized the nation for raising the atmosphere for anti-DPRK sanctions.

The website had stated though the U.S. spoke openly about supporting inter-Korean relations, it behaved in a contradictory manner. It accused Washington of interfering in inter-Korean affairs by putting pressure on Seoul to not deviate from sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

Another North Korean website Arirang Meari too criticized the U.S. for stopping Koreas' joint field study on connecting railways across the border. It also condemned Washington for asking South Korean banks to follow anti-North sanctions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un too criticized the sanctions on his country by stating “hostile forces” were trying to obstruct his efforts to improve the lives of his people.

Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying, "The hostile forces are foolishly keen on vicious sanctions to stand in our way toward promotion of people's wellbeing and development and to lead us to change and submission. But they will be made to clearly see over time how our country that has built its strength hundreds of times defying hardship build its own country as a powerful nation by its own strength, technology and efforts."

North Korea has time and again asked the U.S. to ease sanctions and declare an official end to the Korean War. It has also stated it was taking substantive denuclearization steps including shutting down of a major nuclear test site. The U.S., however, has remained adamant sanctions will remain in place until Pyongyang takes more concrete measures in denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.