North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure security at a ruling party meeting on Sunday ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for de-nuclearisation talks with the United States, state media KCNA said on Monday. North Korea has urged Washington to offer a new approach to resume negotiations, warning that it may take an unspecified ”new path” if the United States fails to meet its expectations. U.S. military commanders said the move could include the testing of a long-range missile, which North Korea has suspended since 2017, along with nuclear warhead tests. Washington would be “extraordinarily disappointed” if North Korea tests a long-range or nuclear missile, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday, vowing to take appropriate action as a leading military and economic power. The United States had opened channels of communication with North Korea and hoped Kim would follow through on his denuclearisation commitments he made at summits with U.S. President Donald Trump, O'Brien said.

Source: The Hindu December 29, 2019 23:37 UTC