North Korean officials lashed out on Sunday, calling President Biden’s comments about U.S.- North Korean relations during a Wednesday speech “hostile policy.”
Kwon Jung Gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, responded to Biden’s remarks about North Korea’s nuclear threat to a joint-session of Congress on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Kwon said in a statement that Biden’s speech “clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century,” Reuters reported.
During his address, Biden said that Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs “present serious threats to American security and the rest of the world.”
“We’re going to be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries… through diplomacy, as well as stern deterrence.”
Kwon added that the suggestion of diplomacy is intended to cover up hostile acts.
Kwon said that North Korea “will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the Biden administration would take a “calibrated, practical approach” to North Korea after finishing its policy review. The administration wants to go for “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the press secretary added.
Biden’s predecessor, former President Trump, engaged in unprecedented meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his tenure in the White House.
Trump met with Kim one-on-one in an attempt to encourage the country to denuclearize.