During his New Year’s address, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reiterated his commitment to working to denuclearize the North Korean peninsula and to keep up talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in efforts to achieve this goal, but warned that he could be forced to take a “new path” if the North American nation continued to impose sanctions on his regime.

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North Korea Warns US Sanctions Could Derail Denuclearization

Kim Jong-un noted his willingness to talk to Donald Trump “at any time” and that he was interested in a result that “would be welcomed by the international community.”

However, these remarks came with a warning that North Korea sees “no option but to explore a new path in order to protect our sovereignty...[if Washington D.C.] continues to break its promises and misjudges our patience by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure. Without keeping a promise it made in front of the world.”

In June, both leaders held a historic summit in Singapore in which they agreed to work together to work toward denuclearization.

Since then, North Korea has taken steps towards fulfilling its compromise, namely dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility.

There have also been reports of continued activity at North Korea’s nuclear and missile facilities based on satellite images.

For its part, the North Korean government demands that the United States lifts sanctions on its regime, and declares an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Additionally, it demands that South Korea stops conducting joint military drills with the United States and to halt the deployment of strategic military assets to the South.

“Now that North and South Korea decided on the path of peace and prosperity, we insist that joint military exercises with outside forces should no longer be allowed and deployment of war weapons such as outside strategic assets should be completely stopped,” said Kim Jung-un.