North Korea has again proposed that it would temporarily halt nuclear tests if South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are suspended for one year.
 
North Korea’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations An Myong-hun made the remark in a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
 
An said it is important to create an atmosphere for sincere dialogue and cooperation while eliminating risks of war. He said in order to do so, suspending the annual joint military drills must come first and foremost.
 
[Sound bite: An Myong-hun - N. Korean Deputy Ambassador to the UN (English)]    
 "We are ready, the government of the DPRK is ready, to explain its intention behind its proposal directly to the United States."  
"[We are ready for that,] if the United States wants additional explanation about the proposal... If this proposal is put into practice this year, many things will be possible. I can't go any further, but many things will be possible this year."
 
An noted that the U.S. government rejected Pyongyang’s offer last week as Washington argued it is inappropriate to link the nuclear test and the annual joint drills. The North Korean official said that the refusal shows that Washington will continue to maintain a hostile tone toward the North.
 
An also reiterated that his country was not behind the cyber attack into Sony Pictures Entertainment.
 
[Sound bite: An Myong-hun - N. Korean Deputy Ambassador to the UN
(English)]
"It is totally arbitrary and out of established hostile policy against my country to impose any kinds of pressure against my country, which we cannot accept at all."