The US has said that it would judge the North Korean leadership based on their actions and not on their speeches.

The State Department reaction came in response to the New Year speech of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s in which he spoke about trying to promote a North-South reconciliation and improving economy.

“We obviously take note of the speech, but we have to judge the DPRK (Democratic People Republic of Korea) not by its words but by its actions. You know the actions that he took just before Christmas, which did not make the situation any easier,” Victoria Nuland, State Department spokesperson, told reporters yesterday at her daily news conference.

“We continue to make it clear that we believe this leader has a choice to make. He can fulfil his international obligations, he can come back into compliance with his commitments under the 2005 joint statements of the Six-Party Talks and his — and come into compliance with UN Security Council resolutions.

“...And then he will feel a response from all of us, or he can continue on the course that he’s on, which is only serving to further isolate his country and further impoverish his people,” Nuland said.

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