U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says North Korea "has no
friends left" that will protect it from international punishments for
its nuclear activities.
Clinton told Asia's largest security forum in Thailand Thursday the
international community is united in its efforts to force North Korea
to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
Clinton said the U.S., Russia, China, Japan and South Korea are still
ready to offer economic and diplomatic incentives if Pyongyang commits
to an "irreversible" path towards denuclearization.
But North Korean spokesman Ri Hung Sik dismissed the incentives as
nonsense and declared the six-party disarmament talks "dead."
He also blamed Washington for what he called a "hostile" policy against Pyongyang.
North Korea's official news agency also personally attacked Clinton on
Thursday, describing her as unintelligent and "a funny lady."
The description was in response to Clinton's comments earlier this
week, when she compared North Korea's recent missile launches and
nuclear test to the behavior of an unruly, attention-seeking child.
Clinton was in Thailand for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations'
Regional Forum, which assembled envoys from 26 countries on Phuket
island.
At the forum, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the six-party
talks on North Korea's weapons program should not be ruled out
entirely. He said despite the difficulties, major progress has been
made.