As Trump courts Kim, Pyongyang ups price while Seoul fears being sidelined
North Korea has dismissed recent U.S. diplomatic overtures and military exercise reductions, responding with a series of short-range ballistic missile tests. Pyongyang continues to demand recognition as a nuclear power while maintaining that the U.S. remains hostile.
Why it matters
The ongoing stalemate underscores the difficulty of denuclearization efforts and the fragile nature of U.S.-North Korean diplomatic relations.
SEOUL - North Korea rebuffed President Trump's apparent bid to reengage with Pyongyang diplomatically this week, issuing rhetorical salvos aimed at Trump's last-minute orders to shorten U.S.- South Korea joint military exercises.
To reinforce its point, the North followed up later in the day with a barrage of about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles launched from around the capital Pyongyang eastward toward the sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The U.S. and South Korean militaries wrapped up their annual drills six days earlier than initially scheduled on Friday in a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea, though the North suggested the step isn't enough to convince it to return to talks.
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