N. Korea hits back at Rubio ‘rogue state’ remarks

SEOUL, FEB 3 (AFP/APP): North Korea on Monday criticised Marco Rubio for calling the country a “rogue state”, dismissing a comment made by the top US diplomat during a recent interview as “nonsense”.

                  In Pyongyang’s first public denunciation of the new Trump administration, a foreign ministry spokesman said that the nuclear-armed country would “never tolerate any provocation of the US”.

                  North Korea “will take tough counteraction”, against any US actions, according to a statement carried on state news service KCNA.

                  The comments come after US President Donald Trump said he would “reach out” to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, after previously meeting with him during his first term.

                  In a recent radio interview, Rubio mentioned North Korea and Iran as “rogue states” that “you have to deal with” when making foreign policy decisions.

                  The foreign ministry spokesman dismissed Rubio’s “nonsense” remarks, which “thoughtlessly tarnish the image of a sovereign state as a grave political provocation”.

                  Rubio’s comments were “nothing new” and “it would be more surprising if he had said (a) good word about the DPRK”, he added, using the official acronym for the North.

                  Issued from such a high level — the foreign ministry — Pyongyang’s statement carries “significant weight” according to analyst Hong Min.

                  “The statement interestingly is a mixed signal,” said Hong, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

                  “While it outwardly criticises the US, the statement subtly outlines North Korea’s expectations. Essentially, it’s providing a guide for how North Korea hopes the Trump administration will approach diplomacy moving forward,” he told AFP.

                  Largely cut off from the world diplomatically and economically, and under a bevy of sanctions, North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme has been a major thorn in the side of the United States for years.

                  Trump, who had a rare series of meetings with Kim during his first term, said in January that he would reach out to the North Korean leader again, calling Kim a “smart guy”.

                  A summit between the two in Hanoi collapsed in 2019 over talks on sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

                  Last week, despite Trump’s diplomatic overtures, North Korea said its nuclear programme would continue “indefinitely”.