North Korea slams South Korea for giving Trump credit for historic talks

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North Korea slams South Korea for giving Trump credit for historic talks

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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

People watch a television broadcast, reporting South and North Korea agree to hold talks, at the Seoul Railway Station on January 5, 2018 in Seoul, South Korea.

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  • North Korean state media slammed South Korea for giving President Donald Trump any credit for recent inter-Korean talks.
  • Last week South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Trump "did a lot" to help the talks.
  • South and North Korea are meeting again on Monday to agree on details for North Korea to attend the Olympic Games.


North Korean state media slammed South Korea for giving President Donald Trump credit for recent inter-Korea talks, Yonhap reported Sunday.

In a press conference shortly after North and South Korea held their first official talks in more than two years, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Trump "did a lot" to help the talks. Moon said he wanted to "convey his thanks" to Trump, and acknowledged that US-led sanctions against North Korea may have helped advance the talks.

In response, North Korean state-run outlet KCNA said the remarks were "impolite," "ill-boding," and "chilling the atmosphere for reconciliation."

"He even made such rubbish that the North was led to dialogue to open up the chapter for 'the North's denuclearization,' not for the improvement of the South-North relations," KCNA apparently reported. "The present South Korean chief executive's attitude casts doubt as to his intent to improve the North-South ties and build confidence."

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However, Moon's comments may not have been as serious as North Korea believes, as they were followed by laughter from members of the press in the room at the time.

The KCNA article also indicated North Korea could still pull out of next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.

"They should know that train and bus carrying our delegation to the Olympics are still in Pyongyang," KCNA wrote.

The report came a day before South and North Korea's working-level talks on Monday. The agenda will focus on the logistics of having a North Korean delegation attend the Olympic Games.