North Korea has ratcheted up its criticism of the US and South Korea in a statement on state media saying Pyongyang had no interest in dialogue as long as the US and South Korea continued to make “military threats” against the communist state. 

The latest criticism damped growing expectations for a quick resumption of working-level talks on denuclearisation between the US and North Korea and contradicted a statement made later on Thursday by South Korea’s national security adviser, Kim Hyun-chong, after meeting US envoy Stephen Biegun for North Korea in Seoul, who said he thought denuclearisation talks would restart soon.

North Korea’s KCNA news agency said Pyongyang remained open to further talks but added: “Dialogue accompanied by military threats is of no interest to us.”