By The Associated Press2015-01-01 07:33:20 UTC North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in New Year’s speech Thursday that he is open to more talks with Seoul or even a summit with his South Korean counterpart, but stressed North Korea will continue to strengthen its military amid an atmosphere of distrust and tension while trying to diversify its economy and raise the national standard of living. See also: How North Koreans might be able to watch ‘The Interview’ Kim’s call for improving inter-Korea relations comes as Pyongyang is facing heightened criticism over its human rights record and souring ties with Washington over allegations it was involved in the massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures, which has caused major economic damage to the company and clouded the release of “The Interview,” a dark comedy that portrayed an assassination attempt on Kim. North Korea has denied involvement, but said the hack was a “righteous deed” and suggested it might have been carried out by sympathizers or supporters abroad. “We believe we can resume suspended senior-level talks and hold other talks on specific issues if South Korea sincerely has a position that it wants to improve North-South relations through a dialogue,” Kim said…