An unnamed spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry claimed on Sunday that North Korea had invited U.S. special representative for North Korea policy Sung Kim to Pyongyang for dialogue last week but were rejected.

The statements, published in a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), were also heavily critical of comments by Kim during a recent diplomatic visit to Asia.

“(North Korea) also invited Kim Song to visit Pyongyang as he expressed his willingness to meet with his counterpart of the DPRK during his visit to Asia this time,” the spokesman said, using their rendering of Sung Kim’s