N Korea wants Pompeo to be dropped from nuclear talks

Within few hours of test-firing the "new-type tactical guided weapon", North Korea on Thursday demanded the removal of U.S. Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo from denuclearisation talks with the United States, state media reported.

State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Pyongyang has urged Washington to remove the "obstacles" on the path to its denuclearisation and called for the replacement of Washington's top negotiator with someone who is "more careful and mature in communicating with us."

A senior Foreign Ministry official told KCNA that whenever Pompeo "pokes his nose in, talks between the two countries go wrong without any results even from the point close to success."

"I am afraid that if Pompeo engages in the talks again, the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled," the official added.

"Therefore, even in the case of a possible resumption of the dialogue with the U.S., I wish our dialogue counterpart would be not Pompeo but [another] person who is more careful and mature in communicating with us," he said.

While addressing state media, the official once again reiterated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's words that the US needs to change its attitude and right method in order to hold a third summit between the two countries.

The second summit between the US and North Korea in February in Hanoi ended abruptly without reaching an agreement over the denuclearisation process of the Korean peninsula.

However, Pompeo stands in the way of a resumption of talks, the official noted at the same time.

"We cannot be aware of Pompeo's ulterior motive behind his self-indulgence in reckless remarks; whether he is indeed unable to understand words properly or just pretending on purpose," the official said.

"The U.S. cannot move us one iota by its current way of thinking. In his previous visits to Pyongyang, Pompeo was granted audiences with our Chairman of the State Affairs Commission for several times and pleaded for ... denuclearisation," he added.

"However, after sitting the other way round, he spouted reckless remarks hurting the dignity of our supreme leadership at Congress hearings last week to unveil his mean character by himself, thus stunning the reasonable people," he was quoted as saying.

The demand comes after Pompeo made personal remarks on Kim last week. According to state media, Pompeo, while testifying before a Senate subcommittee, was asked if he would agree with the characterisation of Kim as a "tyrant."

In response, Pompeo said, "Sure. I'm sure I've said that.