US President Donald Trump acts as an “impatient old man” who cannot hide his nervousness, a senior North Korean diplomat said, amid a lack of progress in bilateral negotiations over Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal.

“Trump doesn’t know much about our country,” said Kim Yong Chol, a senior diplomat involved in organizing the second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

He also said if Trump’s style of talking to his country continues, then “the time when we cannot but call him a ‘dotard’ again may come.” The somewhat archaic insult was used by Pyongyang at the height of tensions between the two countries in 2017, when Trump was calling Kim “Rocket Man.”

The official's comments were published by the state news agency KCNA and come after Trump’s remarks that North Korea’s leader “is too smart and has far too much to lose” if he acts with hostility towards the US, for example, by interfering with next year’s presidential election.

....with the U.S. Presidential Election in November. North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, has tremendous economic potential, but it must denuclearize as promised. NATO, China, Russia, Japan, and the entire world is unified on this issue! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2019

Exchanges between officials in the US and North Korea have become increasingly heated as the year nears an end. Pyongyang says unless tangible progress is made in bilateral talks this year, they’ll collapse. Washington wants North Korea to dismantle its entire nuclear arsenal, but Pyongyang sees it as essential for national security, and demands safety guarantees before making any further concessions.

Indicating that Pyongyang will not yield to further pressure, Kim Yong Chol stressed that his country “has nothing more to lose” given it’s already under heavy international sanctions, and called on the US not to stall the talks.

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“The end of the year is coming,” he warned, referring to the Pyongyang-announced deadline.

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