North Korean state media reported that Pyongyang pressed for direct talks with the United States on Monday, saying the two need to settle their differences before meaningful multilateral nuclear discussions could proceed.

In a statement to the official KCNA news agency, North Korea’s foreign ministry said that if Washington is not ready for a dialogue, Pyongyang will “go our own way.” It did not elaborate on the comment.

The ministry added, “The past six year-long course of the six-party talks proved that no matter how frequently the six parties meet, it is nothing but an armchair argument unless the hostile relations between the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and the US are settled and confidence is built between them.”

In April, North Korea pulled out of talks to protest the United Nations’ condemnation over its nuclear test and missile launches. The communist nation has accused Washington of violating its sovereignty by singling it out and reporting it to the United Nations Security Council.

(article and photo source: CNN)