N.Korea says nuclear issues will not be on agenda unless U.S. 'hostile policy' discussed

North Korea said Sunday nuclear issues will not be discussed when talks with the United States restart unless the withdrawal of U.S. "hostile policy" was put on the agenda, state media reported.

The North's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency that the recent passage of a United Nations resolution on Pyongyang's human rights was a U.S.-led "political provocation."

North Korea has previously described the U.N. criticism as a product of U.S. "hostile policy".

The Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono told his U.S. and South Korea counterparts Sunday that “no one could be optimistic about North Korea”, shortly after Washington and Seoul announced plans to postpone upcoming military drills in a bid to encourage stalled peace efforts.

“North Korea has repeatedly launched more than 20 missiles this year, including new types of ballistic missiles, as well as a submarine-launched ballistic missile," Kono said at the opening of a so-called "trilateral" meeting of the defense chiefs in Bangkok, before news media were escorted from the room.