AKIPRESS.COM - A senior North Korean official has accused US Vice-President Mike Pence of being "stupid" and warned of possible "nuclear showdown" if diplomacy fails, BBC reported.

Choe Son-hui said Pyongyang would not "beg the US for dialogue" nor try to persuade them to attend talks.

In recent days, both sides have warned that the 12 June Trump-Kim meeting could be delayed or even called off.

Pyongyang said it would reconsider going if the US insisted on it giving up nuclear weapons unilaterally.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that it was the North that had to meet the conditions for the talks to go ahead.