Trump's birthday letter to Kim might not be enough to save North Korea talks
Birthday wishes don't solve everything, apparently.
In a statement published Saturday by North Korean state media, Kim Kye Gwan — a foreign ministry official and top adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — said Pyongyang has been "deceived" by the United States and will not engage in talks similar to the one between President Trump and Kim that took place last year in Vietnam. The statement said past denuclearization negotiations with Washington amounted to nothing but "lost time" for North Korea.
The news comes shortly after President Trump sent Kim a letter for his birthday. It appears the North Korean leader may have appreciated the letter since Kim Kye Gwan said Kim still does have "good personal feelings" for Trump. But he added those feelings were just that — personal; they don't, he hinted, reflect the current state of the relationship between the two countries.
The adviser also had some harsh words for South Korea, whom he accused of meddling in U.S.-North Korea relations after Seoul announced Trump had asked South Korea to help deliver the birthday message. Read more at CNN and The Hill.
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