N Korea rejects US offer of talks on nuclear programme

NORTH KOREA has rejected Donald Trump’s call for talks over its nuclear programme just days after the US president finished a high-profile Asian tour.

Han Tae Song, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, said that negotiations would not happen while America continued its “war games”.

Mr Trump surprised commentators during his tour by calling on North Korea to “come to the table and make a deal” over its nuclear programme.

However, speaking to Reuters, Mr Han rejected the proposal and criticised the US for carrying out joint military drills with South Korea. He claimed Mr Trump’s drive for tighter sanctions was to “overthrow” the regime by “isolating” it and creating a “humanitarian disaster”. Mr Han said the nuclear programme was about protection, adding: “This is the deterrent, the nuclear deterrent to cope with the nuclear threat from America.”

Meanwhile 38 North, a Washingtonbased

‘This is the deterrent, the nuclear deterrent to cope with the nuclear threat from America’

project that monitors North Korea, said that satellite images indicate the regime is aggressively pursuing a ballistic missile submarine. Images of the Sinpo South Shipyard taken on Nov 5 showed what appeared to be a submarine’s pressure hull in the yard.