North Korea currently seems uninterested in engaging with the United States of America (US) or South Korea and is instead focusing on strengthening self-confidence and military deterrence, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said after a recent visit to Pyongyang, reports Anadolu.

At the same time, Balakrishnan said that Pyongyang now categorically rejects the possibility of reunification with Korea. South, according to Singaporean broadcaster Channel NewsAsia.

He noted that North Korea’s stance appears to have hardened in recent years, though he added that there may be domestic political reasons behind this change.

Balakrishnan also pointed out that Pyongyang has undergone remarkable economic development despite years of international isolation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Describing the North Korean capital as “a city clean, modern, well-organized and well-planned,” he said, adding that new housing estates and urban development projects reflect signs of continued economic progress since his last visit eight years ago.

“People are busy getting on with their lives,” he said, adding that Pyongyang resembles “any modern city across Southeast Asia, or even Northeast Asia.”

Singapore hosted the historic first summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018. The two leaders later met in Hanoi and the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2019 as part of negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

However, negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have largely stalled since 2019, and Trump has not met with Kim. during his second term.

Source: prizrenpost