North Korea rejects peace talks with South Korea

Pyongyang: Snubbing the much-anticipated peace talks between the two warring Koreas, North Korea on Friday rejected the idea of any further talks with South Korea, calling its decision "completely the fault of South Korea's actions."

North Korea’s decision comes in response to a speech by South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, in which he said that "achieving denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula was at its 'most critical juncture’.”

In a speech marking Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, President Moon vowed to unite the Korean peninsula by 2045.

Korea divided into two countries at the end of World War Two.

President Moon said the goal of achieving denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula was at its "most critical juncture", as talks between North and South appear deadlocked.

Meanwhile, early on Friday North Korea test-fired two missiles into the sea off its eastern coast, the South Korean military said.

It is the sixth such test in less than a month.

The two "unidentified projectiles" were fired about 08.00 (local time) and travelled 230km (140 miles) reaching an altitude of 30km (18 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Six days ago, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan/East Sea.

The series of tests comes after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed during a meeting in June to restart denuclearisation negotiations.

North Korea has faced international sanctions for its development of nuclear weapons.

In a statement, the North questioned the meaning of dialogue when "even at this moment, South Korea continues its joint military exercise and to speak of a peaceful economy or a peaceful regime. It has no right to do so."

In an extended attack on President Moon, the statement continued: "We even question if his thought process is sound when he mentions 'talks' between North and South while playing out war scenarios that plan to destroy most of our armies in 90 days.