North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned that his country could seek an alternative course if the United States misjudged its patience in denuclearisation talks.
In an annual New Year's Day address cited by South Korean news agency Yonhap, Kim said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump again at any time, renewed his commitment to denuclearisation and called on the US to take corresponding measures in denuclearisation talks.
But he said North Korea however would have "no option but to explore a new path in order to protect our sovereignty" if the United States "miscalculates our people's patience, forces something upon us and pursues sanctions and pressure without keeping a promise it made in front of the world."
It was not clear what "new path" the North Korean leader was referring to.
He also called for an end to joint military drills between the US and South Korea and said no strategic military assets should be brought onto the Korean peninsula.
On Sunday he also wrote a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae In, in which he said he wanted to meet Moon more frequently in 2019 in order to push forward their talks on "peace and prosperity".
Trump and Kim held an historic summit in Singapore in June, at which Kim said he was committed to denuclearising the Korean Peninsula.
But while South and North Korea have continued to mend their relations over the past year, denuclearisation negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington appear to have stalled.
Trump said in December that he expected to meet Kim again early next year, though no date has been set, while North Korea has not taken any clear steps towards dismantling its nuclear weapons programme.
Pyongyang also warned last month that a fresh round of sanctions imposed by the US could "block the path to denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula forever," and accused the US State Department of having an "ulterior motive."
