North Korea does not seem keen on diplomacy with Washington and Seoul, instead choosing to strengthen self-reliance and military deterrence, Singapore’s foreign minister has said after a rare trip to the politically isolated nation.

Pyongyang has repeatedly shunned peace overtures from the South Korean government while throwing its backing behind Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

The comments by Singapore’s top diplomat Vivian Balakrishnan late on Thursday followed his first visit in eight years to Pyongyang, marking half a century of diplomatic ties.

“At this point in time, they… appear to not be keen on any engagement externally, either with America or even with the ROK,” Balakrishnan told local media in Seoul, using South Korea’s official acronym.

“Instead, they are focusing on building up their own self-reliance as well as their own military deterrence,” he said after the two-day working visit to the nuclear-armed state.

In recent months, North Korea has stepped up its invective against the South, labelling it the “most hostile state” and cutting all references to uniting the divided peninsula from its constitution.

Balakrishnan said he too had observed a hardening in North Korea’s stance on unification. “Right now (North Korea) is not looking for any opportunities for talks or engagement in a significant way,” he said.

Despite almost no trade between the two countries, ties between Singapore and North Korea remain cordial, and Balakrishnan said he had invited Pyongyang to attend a regional forum hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Singaporean official also posted a video on Facebook saying “Pyongyang is a modern, clean, well planned city. Continued to make significant progress since I last visited eight years ago.”

“Busy streets, more cars on the roads, and many new buildings and developments,” he said.

Balakrishnan urged “strategic patience” with North Korea. “Don’t make things worse, don’t aggravate issues, but look with a longer-term horizon for opportunities to be helpful or to open channels of communication,” he said. (AFP)