North Korean leader says past diplomacy only confirmed US hostility

Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats. The comments were reported in state media on Friday after Kim spoke at a defense exhibition where North Korea displayed weapons including missiles designed to target the U.S. mainland. Kim has yet to comment directly on Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president. They met three times during Trump’s first term before the diplomacy collapsed over disagreements on relaxing sanctions in exchange for North Korea winding down its nuclear program. Kim in his speech touched on the failed summits without naming Trump.