DPRK slams US for trying to jeopardize improvement of inter-Korean relations

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Thursday that the United States "is working hard to disturb the atmosphere of improving inter-Korean relations," calling on Seoul to help repair North-South ties.

Washington is interfering in the positive achievements following the Aug. 25 agreement between both Koreas to ease rising military conflicts, including Red Cross working-level contacts in progress for reunions of separated families, the state news agency KCNA quoted a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea as saying.

The spokesman expressed discontent with remarks of some US experts on the Korean Peninsula that denuclearization of the peninsula and the DPRK's human rights record would be put high on the agenda during the summit between leaders of the US and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in October.

He said the US is making desperate efforts to "build up public opinion critical of the DPRK and drive a wedge between the North and the South."

He slammed comments hyping up the North's possible provocations in the upcoming October meeting and accused Washington of instigating ROK's authorities into resuming anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts.

"This clearly proves the hypocritical nature of the US and that it is a cancer-like entity disturbing peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula," he said.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang confirmed that all its nuclear facilities at Nyongbyon have been in full operation since 2013 and that it is improving both the quality and the quantity of its nuclear weapons.

It warned to hit the United States with nuclear bombs if Washington does not change its anachronistic hostile policy towards Pyongyang.

On Monday, the DPRK suggested it would send more satellites into space "at the times and locations determined by the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea," stirring concerns it will soon launch a long-range ballistic missile.