North Korean leader Kim Yo Jong’s sister has criticized continued weapons drills in South Korea and warned the new U.S. administration against ‘causing a stink’ if it wants peace, state news said Tuesday.
The statement came a day before America’s top diplomatic representative and defense chief came to Seoul for their first talks with South Korean peers.
‘We take this opportunity to warn the new US administration of trying hard to eradicate the smell of powder in our land,’ Kim said in a statement from state news agency KCNA. ‘If he wants to sleep in peace for the next four years, he’d better stop causing bad consequences in the first place. ‘
The victorious sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left the U.S. and South Korea on Tuesday, as U.S. secretaries of state and defense began visiting Tokyo and Seoul
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are traveling in Asia this week for foreign and security policy talks with friends in Japan and South Korea, among other stops.
Kim’s ideas time seems to be designed to make sure North Korea is at the top of Blinken and Austin’s agenda when they land in Seoul, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korean expert at King’s College London.
‘So far, the debate has focused on the Quad, dealing with China and the study of North Korean policy,’ he said. ‘Now Kim’s statement will be at the heart of conversations.’
North Korea has so far entered U.S. entrants into talks, the White House said Monday, as a cell in relations that began by then – President Donald Trump has expanded its -into Joe Biden.
This is the first special mention by the nuclear-armed North of a new president in Washington, more than four months after Joe Biden was elected to replace Donald Trump – though he has not yet commented on the Democrat by name
The White House confirmed Monday that the administration had reached out to North Korea through unpublished ‘channels’ – but that the country has not yet responded.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. received ‘no response’ despite the outreach, following an explosion of informants during the Trump Administration that was followed by a freeze at the end of term Trump.
‘So I can confirm that we have reached out. It’s clear that we have … as many channels as we can always get through, ‘she said.
Diplomacy is always our goal. Our aim is to reduce the risk of escalation, ‘she said.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on Monday that the U.S. had reached out to North Korea through diplomatic channels but received no response.
But the effort has been fruitless so far. ‘So far we have received no response,’ said Psaki at the White House.
Describing the nature of the efforts, Psaki was vague, saying that the US ‘aimed at consulting with many government officials who had been involved in North Korean policy – including from several previous administrations. And we are and will continue to communicate with other friends from Japan and South Korea to seek ideas, explore new ways. We listen carefully to their views, including through tripartite consultations. ‘
Pressing on North Korea’s failure to respond, Psaki replied: ‘This continues for more than a year without active engagement with North Korea, despite many attempts by the US to intervene. So diplomacy … remains our first priority. Yes, I think you can expect a continued expansion in communication with partners and friends in the area. ‘
North Korea has not responded to the diplomatic reach behind the scenes since mid-February with the administration of President Joe Biden
The Biden administration has so far been cautious in publicly reporting its approach to North Korea, saying it is conducting a comprehensive policy review following unprecedented communications with the North Korea. former President Donald Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
Secret DA report finds Kim Jong-un’s regime has maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, helping to fund them with about $ 300million stolen through cyber hacks.
A senior administration official told Reuters on Saturday that the U.S. had reached out to Pyongyang’s mission to the United Nations.
The hitherto unsuccessful arrival of the U.S. raises questions about how Biden will deal with growing tensions with Pyongyang over the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. It also comes as Biden’s new team competes against other property issues – including efforts to restart Iran’s nuclear deal and regulate the withdrawal of registered troops from Afghanistan.
He will also add a new dimension to a visit by America’s top diplomat and secretary of defense next week to South Korea and Japan, where concerns about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal are expected to be high on the agenda. .
Biden’s chief administrative officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave only a few details about the diplomatic push. But the official said efforts had been made to reach out to the North Korean government ‘through several channels starting in mid-February, including New York.
North Korea’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Biden administration has so far been cautious in publicly reporting its approach to North Korea, saying it is conducting a comprehensive policy review following unprecedented communications with the North Korea. former President Donald Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump’s efforts to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons have failed.
A Biden administration official said he revealed that there had been no active dialogue between the United States and North Korea for more than a year, including at the end of the Trump administration, ‘despite numerous attempts in the that time with the United States to intervene ‘.
The U.S. official declined to speculate as to how the silence from Pyongyang would affect the Biden administration’s North Korean policy review, which was expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
In his election campaign, Biden described Kim as a ‘giveaway’ and said he would only meet him ‘on condition that he agreed to pull down his nuclear potential’.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has insisted that additional sanctions, in coordination with friends, are possible to pressure North Korea to denuclearize.
Sanctions so far have persuaded Kim to give up her nuclear weapons.
Blinken has a slate to host the first face-to-face talks between Biden’s top management and Chinese officials on March 18 in Alaska. The Trump administration accused China of not imposing sanctions against North Korea.
A secret report by the DAs found that North Korea maintained and improved its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, helping to fund them with some $ 300million stolen through cyber hacks.
The report by independent sanctions analysts said Pyongyang was ‘making fine material, maintaining nuclear facilities and upgrading its ballistic missile infrastructure’ while seeking materials and technology for the programs. that from abroad.