2LT International News

WASHINGTON, U.S.- Months after initiating conversation with the U.S. over denuclearization, nor North Korea has repeated its old demand – removal of all U.S. sanctions. 

While the U.S. President Donald Trump staged the high on optics meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to get the nation to denuclearize, Jong Un had stated that he is willing to give up his nuclear weapons to better the North Korean economy. 

Since the June meeting between the two leaders, many meetings have been staged between U.S. and North Korean officials – yet progress in getting Kim Jong Un to completely destroy his nuclear weapons has been slow.

Now, North Korea has clarified that it intends to restart the development of its nuclear weapons program unless the U.S. lifts sanctions.

However, despite North Korea repeating its demand of sanctions being lifted, the Trump administration has clarified that sanctions and other pressures will remain on North Korea until it dismantles its nuclear program. 

Last month, amid talks being led by the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Pyongyang stepped up its calls for sanctions relief. 

However, despite Trump’s constant touting of progress being made in talks, the North Korean Foreign Ministry has now released a statement reiterating its demand clearly indicating that negotiations over the nuclear program have hit an impasse.

‘Foolish’ Washington

This time North Korea’s reiteration of its demand also came with the threat of restarting its nuclear weapons program. 

In its statement, the North Korean Foreign Ministry has warned that unless sanctions were lifted and Washington stopped behaving “arrogantly,” North Korea could reinstate “pyongjin” — which is its policy of developing its nuclear weapons program alongside seeking economic development.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said that in June, Trump promised Kim Jong Un that a new era in relations was beginning and argued, “The improvement of relations and sanctions are incompatible. ‘Friendship’ is incompatible with ‘pressure.’”

Further, the Foreign Ministry has asked Washington to abandon its “foolish daydream” that sanctions and pressure will lead to denuclearization. 

It added, “We cannot help laughing at such a foolish idea.”

It added that the U.S. was making a mistake if it believed North Korea would agree to unilateral disarmament with sanctions in place, and it said negotiations should be “simultaneous and phased” and based on “reciprocity and equality.”

The statement added, “If the U.S. keeps behaving arrogantly without showing any change in its stand, while failing to properly understand our repeated demand, the DPRK may add one thing to the state policy for directing all efforts to the economic construction adopted in April and as a result, the word ‘pyongjin’ may appear again.”

Adding, “The U.S. will be able to dodge piteous future that may do harm to itself and the world only when it gives up highflying desire and one-sided viewpoint.”

Where Seoul stands? 

The demand comes months after North Korea announced that it had made sufficient progress in developing its nuclear weapons program and would now focus on improve its economy. 

If North Korea now backtracks and returns to operating under its ‘pyongjin’ policy, it would not only reignite tensions with the U.S., but would further increase the rift between Seoul and Washington. 

After the June meeting, Trump’s decision to end some joint military drills with South Korea left the nation shocked, even though it publicly supported Washington’s decision.

Since then, South Korea has made separate and accelerated efforts to deepen its ties and understanding with Pyongyang to avoid the threat that could arise from vulnerability due to lack of military drills.

Seoul has also been pacing ahead with discussions on its ambitious program of economic development and cooperation, including building road and rail links across the countries’ heavily militarized frontier. 

Further, South Korea has backed North’s call for sanctions relief.

Last week, Pompeo told reporters that he will meet his North Korean counterpart for further talks.

America’s top diplomat stressed that during his meeting with Kim Jong Un last month, the North Korean leader had made clear to him that he intends to denuclearize.

He added that during that meeting, he had secured a promise to allow American inspectors into two nuclear and missile testing sites to check on their dismantlement.

Pompeo said, “We’re still happy that they ­haven’t conducted a nuclear test in an awfully long time and they haven’t launched a missile in an awfully long time.”

However, he insisted that both sides were aware that much more work needs to be done.

Pompeo said, “I’m confident that we will keep the economic pressure in place until such time as Chairman Kim fulfills the commitment he made to Trump back in June in Singapore.”

Further, Pompeo said last week that a summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump could happen early next year and enable “a substantial breakthrough in taking down the nuclear threat from North Korea.”