North Korea dismisses speculation American prisoner will be bargaining chip
| Seoul
聽said on Sunday it had no intention of using an American it sentenced to hard labor for 15 years as a聽聽in talks with the United States.
听蝉别苍迟别苍肠别诲听, a Korean American who travelled to visit聽聽last November, on Thursday for what is said were crimes against the state.
聽has in the past used detained Americans as bargaining counters in dealings with the聽. But the聽聽dismissed speculation it might do so again.
"Some media of the U.S. said that the DPRK tried to use Bae's case as a聽. This is ridiculous and wrong guess," the KCNA news agency reported, citing a聽听蝉辫辞办别蝉尘补苍.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of聽Korea, the聽North's official name.
Bae, 44, was born in聽聽but is a naturalized U.S. citizen. His sentencing comes after two months of sabre-rattling that saw聽聽threaten the聽听补苍诲听聽with nuclear war.
Human rights activists in聽聽say Bae may have been arrested for taking pictures of starving children.
A U.S. official said last week Washington was not looking for an envoy to try to secure Bae's release.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the聽聽had sought in recent years to break out of a pattern of having to resolve repeated crises with聽聽through deals.
The U.S. State Department 耻谤驳别诲听聽to grant Bae amnesty and immediate release.
The聽North's ministry spokesman said the Bae case showed the聽聽had not changed its "hostile" policy.
"As long as the U.S. hostile policy goes on, Americans' illegal acts should be countered with strict legal sanctions. This is a conclusion drawn by the DPRK," the KCNA news agency reported.
In the past, prominent Americans including former presidents聽听补苍诲听聽have travelled to聽聽to try to free detained Americans.
