By Yi Whan-woo
The United States has rejected North Korea's surprise offer to temporary suspend nuclear tests if Seoul and Washington halt a joint military exercise.
"Our annual joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea (ROK) are transparent, defense-oriented and have been carried out regularly and openly for roughly 40 years," U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency in an e-mail interview, Sunday. "The DPRK statement that inappropriately links routine U.S.-ROK exercises to the possibility of a nuclear test by North Korea is an implicit threat."
The ROK and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) refer to official names of South Korea and North Korea, respectively.
Psaki added that a possible fourth nuclear test would be a violation of Pyongyang's obligations under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions as well as its own commitments under a 2005 denuclearization-for-aid deal.
The military state carried out nuclear test in 2006, 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Her remarks came after U.S Department of Defense spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said Saturday that Washington would remain unchanged in its alliance with Seoul.
"Nothing has changed about our commitment and our treaty alliance requirements with South Korea," Kirby said in a Pentagon press briefing.
North Korea proposed Saturday that both sides put the brakes on what they consider threats against each other as well as to regional security.
According to Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the offer was made to ease tensions on the peninsula.
It added the Kim Jong-un regime delivered the proposal in a message to the U.S. government "through a relevant channel."
"The message proposed the U.S. to contribute to easing tension on the Korean Peninsula by temporarily suspending joint military exercises in South Korea and its vicinity this year, and said that in this case the DPRK is ready to take such responsive step as temporarily suspending nuclear tests over which the U.S. is concerned," The KNCA said.
The repressive regime has denounced the annual joint military exercise as a rehearsal for invasion of the North.
The United States has rejected North Korea's surprise offer to temporary suspend nuclear tests if Seoul and Washington halt a joint military exercise.
"Our annual joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea (ROK) are transparent, defense-oriented and have been carried out regularly and openly for roughly 40 years," U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency in an e-mail interview, Sunday. "The DPRK statement that inappropriately links routine U.S.-ROK exercises to the possibility of a nuclear test by North Korea is an implicit threat."
The ROK and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) refer to official names of South Korea and North Korea, respectively.
Psaki added that a possible fourth nuclear test would be a violation of Pyongyang's obligations under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions as well as its own commitments under a 2005 denuclearization-for-aid deal.
The military state carried out nuclear test in 2006, 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Her remarks came after U.S Department of Defense spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said Saturday that Washington would remain unchanged in its alliance with Seoul.
"Nothing has changed about our commitment and our treaty alliance requirements with South Korea," Kirby said in a Pentagon press briefing.
North Korea proposed Saturday that both sides put the brakes on what they consider threats against each other as well as to regional security.
According to Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the offer was made to ease tensions on the peninsula.
It added the Kim Jong-un regime delivered the proposal in a message to the U.S. government "through a relevant channel."
"The message proposed the U.S. to contribute to easing tension on the Korean Peninsula by temporarily suspending joint military exercises in South Korea and its vicinity this year, and said that in this case the DPRK is ready to take such responsive step as temporarily suspending nuclear tests over which the U.S. is concerned," The KNCA said.
The repressive regime has denounced the annual joint military exercise as a rehearsal for invasion of the North.
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