In its first direct criticism of the Trump administration, North Korea lashed out at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling it a "rogue" state and warned Monday that such "coarse and nonsensical remarks" will never contribute to US interests. The statement is the latest in a series of North Korean signals that it's not interested in resuming diplomacy with the US anytime soon, though Trump has said he'll reach out to its ruler, Kim Jong Un, the AP reports. It likely referred to Rubio's appearance on the Megyn Kelly Show on Jan. 30, in which he called North Korea and Iran "rogue states" while addressing foreign policy challenges.
"Rubio's coarse and nonsensical remarks only show directly the incorrect view of the new US administration on the DPRK and will never help promote the US interests as he wishes," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, per NBC News. Many experts say that Kim, preoccupied with his deployment of troops to Russia, is likely concentrating on developments in the Russia-Ukraine war for now. But they say Kim would eventually seriously consider Trump's overture if he assessed he cannot maintain the current solid partnership with Russia after the war ends.
Kim has sent an estimated 10,000-12,000 troops to support Russia, along with a vast amount of artillery and other conventional weapons. In return, North Korea appears to be receiving economic and military assistance from Russia. "When the war is over, Kim may not be such a vital partner for Putin any longer," says Moon Seong Mook, an analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. "Given that, if Kim fails to win what he wants from Putin, he could switch his diplomatic policy focus to the United States." (More North Korea stories.)
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