SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea admonished Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday for calling it a “rogue state” and said his “coarse and nonsensical remarks” would not help U.S. interests in the reclusive state’s first direct criticism of the Trump administration.
The comments are the latest indication that nuclear-armed North Korea is not open to negotiations over its U.N.-sanctioned weapons programs, even as President Donald Trump says he would like to resume in-person meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“The hostile words and deeds of the person who is in charge of the U.S. foreign policy served as an occasion of confirming once again the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK which remains unchanged,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement carried by state media, referring to the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“Rubio’s coarse and nonsensical remarks only show directly the incorrect view of the new U.S. administration on the DPRK and will never help promote the U.S. interests as he wishes,” the statement continued.
Rubio made the “rogue state” comment in a media interview, the North Korean statement said, without specifying which one. It was most likely referring to Rubio’s interview Thursday with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly, during which he described North Korea and Iran as rogue states.
Though it is not unusual for U.S. officials to talk about North Korea in those terms, Trump raised eyebrows last month when he referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power,” a phrase U.S. officials have long refrained from using, as it could signal recognition of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.
Trump, who met with Kim three times during his first term, has spoken enthusiastically about their relations, calling Kim a “smart guy” and saying he intends to reach out to him again.
North Korea has not responded to Trump’s remarks, but Kim’s weapons testing and confrontational rhetoric show no signs of slowing.
Last week Kim inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for strengthening the country’s nuclear fighting capability, according to state media reports.
There have also been three known weapons displays by North Korea so far this year, including multiple short-range ballistic missiles, a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile and strategic cruise missiles.
