North Korea critical of U.S. politicizing food aid

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said Wednesday that before Kim Jong Il’s death the United States offered to provide food aid if it halted its uranium enrichment program, and although Pyongyang blasted Washington for “politicizing” food shipments, it appeared to leave the door open for a deal.

Comments about the proposed deal, attributed to an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesman in Pyongyang, carried an indignant tone, but the North’s statement also said it would wait and “see if the United States has a willingness to establish confidence” with North Korea.

The statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency offers an early look at how the government now led by Kim’s son, Kim Jong Un, will handle two of North Korea’s most pressing issues: a long-running food crisis and international pressure to end its nuclear program.