Anchor: North Korea vowed to continue its military buildup to fend off U.S. threats on the second anniversary of their leaders' historic first meeting in Singapore. On the other side, the U.S. said it is willing to take a flexible approach to fulfilling their summit commitments.
Emma Kalka has more.

Report: North Korea will continue to build up its military force in order to cope with threats from the United States.

That's the message Pyongyang's top diplomat sent to the U.S. on the occasion of the second anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting in Singapore. 

In a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency on Friday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon said the strategic goal of his country is to build up a more "reliable force" to cope with the long-term military threat from the U.S. 

Ri said hope for improved relations with the U.S. has now shifted into despair and that the North sees little use in maintaining a personal relationship between Kim and Trump. 

He added that North Korea will "never again" provide the U.S. with "another package" that President Trump could use to boast as his achievement.

The anniversary of the summit comes amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas after the North cut off all inter-Korean communication lines over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by defectors into the country from the South. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday that the United States is willing to take a “flexible approach” to implementing the Singapore Summit agreement.

A spokesperson said the U.S. was disappointed by the North's recent actions and urged the regime to return to diplomacy and cooperation, adding Washington remains in close cooperation with its ally, South Korea, on efforts to engage the North. 

Seoul's Unification Ministry declined to comment on Ri's statement, but said South Korea will continue to make efforts toward the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula. 
Emma Kalka, KBS World Radio News.

[Photo : YONHAP News]