North Korea says US is ‘hell-bent’ on hostility
Pyongyang statement comes just days after historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un

North Korea says the US is “hell-bent on hostile acts”, despite a recent agreement between the two countries to resume nuclear talks.
Just days after the countries’ leaders, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, held a historic meeting in the heavily fortified demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, Pyongyang’s delegation to the UN said that Washington was “obsessed with sanctions”.
It also accused the US of attempting to “undermine the peaceful atmosphere” on the Korean peninsula and added that it was “quite ridiculous” for the US to view sanctions as a “panacea for all problems”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The BBC says the accusations “marked a shift in tone and a return to the angry exchanges that have marred relations between the countries in recent times”, while ITV adds that “there was nothing positive” in the statement “which made no mention of nuclear talks, focusing instead on sanctions”.
North Korea’s delegation said it was responding to an allegation from the US that it had breached a cap on refined petroleum imports that was set in 2017. It has an annual limit of 500,000 barrels, which is key for its economy.
It said it was also reacting to a joint letter sent by the US, France, Germany and the UK to all UN member states calling for further sanctions on the hermit kingdom. The same letter is believed to have asked all members to send expatriate North Korean workers home.
The North Korean statement said: “What can’t be overlooked is the fact that this joint letter game was carried out... on the very same day when President Trump proposed [a] summit meeting.
“[It] speaks to the reality that the United States is practically more and more hell-bent [on] hostile acts against the DPRK [North Korea]. All UN member states will have to keep vigilance against deliberate attempts by the United States to undermine the peaceful atmosphere that has been created on the Korean Peninsula.”
Although North Korea said the letter was sent on 29 June, it was in fact sent on 27 June. The US is yet to respond to the statement.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Y chromosome degrades over time and men's health is paying for it
Under the radar The chromosome loss is linked to cancer and Alzheimer's
-
One great cookbook: 'I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to)'
the week recommends The endless ease and versatility of a painless dinner
-
Crossword: May 7, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
US, Ukraine sign joint minerals deal
speed read The Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine giving the US access to its mineral wealth
-
Ukraine-US minerals deal: is Trump turning away from Putin?
Today's Big Question US shows 'exasperation' with Russia and signs agreement with Ukraine in what could be a significant shift in the search for peace
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The fight for control of Ukraine's nuclear reactors
The Explainer How serious is Donald Trump about US ownership of Kyiv's nuclear power plants?
-
The El Salvador mega-prison at the centre of Trump's deportation scheme
The Explainer Invoking a 1798 law, the US president has sent hundreds of alleged gang members to high-security prison called 'black hole of human rights'