North korea: North Korea on Monday denounced the United States for maintaining what it called a "hostile" policy and vowed to respond with the "toughest" countermeasures. A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry made the criticism, slamming Washington for pursuing "hostile" measures under the banner of denuclearization and human rights.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the spokesperson stated, "It is pointless to expect any detente in the region, given the grave situation where the U.S. persistent hostile policy toward the DPRK is evolving in a more dangerous way." DPRK is North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly reached out to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in recent weeks, expressing hope to meet him later this year. Despite these overtures, the North Korean statement emphasized, "There is no change in our policy toward the U.S. to respond to its invariable hostile policy with the toughest stand to the last."