(LEAD) N. Korea denounces U.S. hostile policy toward it, vows 'toughest' response

Seoul, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea strongly condemned the United States for maintaining a hostile policy towards it and vowed to respond with the toughest countermeasures. This came after the U.S. Department of State reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the complete denuclearization of Pyongyang, despite President Donald Trump expressing hope for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year.

According to a statement released by North Korea's foreign ministry via the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson at the foreign ministry accused the U.S. of pursuing hostile measures under the guise of denuclearization and human rights. The official, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), stated that it is futile to hope for any détente in the region given the worsening situation where the U.S. persistent hostile policy towards the DPRK is becoming more dangerous.

The statement followed South Korea, the U.S., and Japan's announcement that they will proceed with the trilateral military exercise Freedom Edge as planned, despite the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with Seoul being scaled back by half earlier in the month at Trump's order. North Korea's official cast the upcoming exercise as part of anti-DPRK military provocations, echoing the country's long-held claim that such drills are war rehearsals.

The Trump administration has fully reconfirmed its hostile policy towards the DPRK, violating its sovereignty, political system, and security interests through the denuclearization ruse, a smear campaign against human rights, and military threats, the official claimed. The official further argued that the U.S. military posture is pushing tensions on the Korean Peninsula to a more dangerous level and escalating regional instability.

North Korea reaffirmed that its nuclear weapons serve as an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty and that bolstering its nuclear arsenal is the most responsible and correct option to ensure regional peace and security. The statement dismissed any notion that U.S. pressure could alter its nuclear policy, saying, "To absurdly stick to the past can never get a grip on reality or deter the future."

The statement concluded by reiterating that it will respond to the U.S.'s invariable hostile policy with the toughest stand to the last.