North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a New Year's address while sitting in an armchair in an office, Tuesday. Photos of his predecessors, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, are also seen behind him. Yonhap

Kim Jong-un wants to continue peace talks

By Lee Min-hyung

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is ready to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at any time, in a prerecorded New Year's address aired by the state-controlled Korea Central Television, Tuesday.

While reiterating his willingness for complete denuclearization, he called for Washington not to misjudge the North's patience and take corresponding actions for rapid progress in their denuclearization dialogue.

"I am ready to sit face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump again at any time," said Kim, dressed in a suit in a room decorated with the portraits of his deceased grandfather and father. "I will do my utmost to generate an end state that the international society will definitely welcome."

The overall tone for his speech was not as provocative as that from the previous years reflecting the ongoing peace momentum on the peninsula.

But Kim also expressed discomfort over the U.S. attitude in the denuclearization talks and its adamancy about keeping sanctions on North Korea.

"If the U.S. continues stepping up sanctions and pressure against our country, we may have no choice but to seek a new way to protect our sovereignty and interests," Kim said.

In June last year, Trump and Kim held a historic summit in Singapore for the first time in history. At that time, they reached a broad consensus in making joint efforts to realize peace and denuclearization on the peninsula.