Kim Jong-un calls for 'positive, offensive measures' to ensure North Korea's security

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un has called for "positive and offensive measures" to ensure security as a year-end deadline set for the US is drawing closer.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un has called for "positive and offensive measures" to ensure security as a year-end deadline set for the US is drawing closer. The North Korea leader on Sunday convened a meeting of ruling Workers' Party officials to discuss policy matter amid rising tensions with the US over deadline to grant concession in denuclearisation talks, aimed at dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes, Yonhap News Agency reported citing North Korea's state media KCNA.

During the meeting, Kim emphasised on the actions in the areas of foreign affairs, the munitions industry and armed forces. He also stressed the need to take e "positive and offensive measures for fully ensuring the sovereignty and security of the country," KCNA said. Kim and Trump have met three times since June 2018 but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue and the government in Pyongyang has demanded that international sanctions be lifted first. The talks between North Korea and the United States broke down after early this year after the failed Hanoi Summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim in February.

Since then, Washington has tried to bring the Pyongyang back on table for talks but failed to do so. Last week, the North Korean state media said that the US would "pay dearly" for taking issue with Pyongyang's human rights record and that Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The US envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun visited South Korea and China last week, making a public and direct call to North Korea to return to the negotiating table. North Korea has conducted a number of test-launches of short-range missiles in the months since the last summit. The country is banned from carrying out such tests under the United Nations' sanctions. (ANI)

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