North Korea warns it won't negotiate nukes if US is hostile

North Korea warned the United States that it will never put its nuclear weapons program on the negotiating table as long as the Trump administration keeps up its "hostile policy and nuclear threat."

The warning came from North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador Kim In Ryong in the transcript of his conversation with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Aug. 15. The transcript was sent to The Associated Press on Aug. 17 by North Korea's U.N. Mission.

Guterres' remarks were not included but the U.N. chief told reporters Aug. 16 that he had spoken to the North Koreans and the five other parties in talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program that have been stalled since 2009.

The secretary-general warned that tensions on the Korean peninsula are at their highest level in decades and said it's important now "to dial down the rhetoric and to dial up diplomacy."

Ambassador Kim repeated to the secretary-general the decision by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to hold off on launching missiles into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam.

The North Korean leader "said that the U.S. imperialists put their own necks into the noose through their reckless military confrontation racket, adding that he would watch a little longer the conduct of the foolish and stupid Yankees," the ambassador told Guterres.

Ambassador Kim reiterated his leader's demand that the U.S. immediately stop its "arrogant provocation" and its "extremely dangerous actions around the Korean Peninsula," including deploying "huge nuclear strategic equipment."

"In order to defuse the tensions and prevent the dangerous military conflict on the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary for the U.S. to make a proper option first and show it in action," the ambassador...