North Korean state media on Monday said the country’s nuclear and missile program is not a subject for discussion with Seoul and that the DPRK should only negotiate with Washington DC, in a commentary published by the Uriminzzokiri website.

“The Korean Peninsula’s nuclear issues are the matters that Pyongyang should discuss directly with Washington, but not something that Washington’s puppet Seoul should be involved with,” Uriminzzokiri said.

The North Korean article, which comes ten days before a landmark U.S.-South Korean summit in DC, urged Seoul to not get involved, arguing that the current government has no reason to fear the