North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has rejected a dialogue offer made by the United States, deeming it an attempt by Washington to "conceal its deception and hostile actions," according to official media in Pyongyang. The official newspaper "Rodong Sinmun" reported that Kim stated before the "Supreme People’s Assembly" that "since the new U.S. administration took office, the military threat from the United States and its hostile policy against us have not changed at all; in fact, they have become more deceptive."
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly announced its willingness to meet North Korean officials anywhere and anytime without preconditions, as part of efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. However, talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since the failure of the summit held in 2019 in Hanoi between Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Since Kim Jong-un ascended to power, North Korea has developed its weapons programs, but it has not conducted any nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests since 2017.
On Wednesday, diplomatic sources reported that the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday regarding North Korea at the request of the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, following Pyongyang's announcement that it successfully tested a hypersonic missile. A diplomatic source told AFP that the session will initially be held behind closed doors in the morning, without clarifying whether a statement would follow.
North Korea announced on Wednesday that it successfully tested a hypersonic glide missile, which could represent the latest advancement for the nuclear-armed state in weapons technology. This is North Korea's third missile test this month, with the first involving a long-range cruise missile and the second involving short-range ballistic missiles.
