U.S. tightens its grip on N. Korea as neither side willing to budge in denuclearization talks
- 5 years ago
Now these new sanctions come after the Hanoi summit fallout,... signalling that the U.S. will continue to pressure North Korea, unless the regime takes denuclearization steps.
Our Lee Ji-won has more.
Washington's new sanctions on Chinese ships doing business with North Korea are the first sanctions since the Hanoi summit collapsed.
The additional bans are seen as moves to pressure the regime, with neither North Korea nor the U.S. budging in their denuclearization negotiations.
At the Hanoi summit, North Korea allegedly said it wants a phased approach in the denuclearization talks, which include corresponding measures of easing sanctions related to people's everyday lives.
To this, the U.S. says sanctions will not be removed until steps towards complete denuclearization are taken.
A U.S. State Department official reiterated this on Thursday when responding to a Voice of America question about South Korean data that says suspected illegal transshipments involving North Korean vessels rose two fold to 130 cases last year from the year before.
The official also warned that Washington will not hesitate to take unilateral action against entities that conduct prohibited activities or facilitate sanctions evasion.
While urging the international community to continue its pressure campaign, the State Department official opened the door for dialogue, saying that it remains ready to establish a stable peace on the Korean Peninsula, in parallel with the denuclearization efforts.
Washington's push for the international community to maintain the sanctions campaign is also evident in U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton's interview on Breitbart News on Wednesday.
Bolton said "China could really hold the key to this if they press North Korea hard enough", adding that Beijing takes over 90-percent of the North's external trade and that the U.S. will continue to press China to enforce all the sanctions against the regime.
Bolton also pointed out that China, too, has always said it doesn't want to see North Korea with nuclear weapons.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
Our Lee Ji-won has more.
Washington's new sanctions on Chinese ships doing business with North Korea are the first sanctions since the Hanoi summit collapsed.
The additional bans are seen as moves to pressure the regime, with neither North Korea nor the U.S. budging in their denuclearization negotiations.
At the Hanoi summit, North Korea allegedly said it wants a phased approach in the denuclearization talks, which include corresponding measures of easing sanctions related to people's everyday lives.
To this, the U.S. says sanctions will not be removed until steps towards complete denuclearization are taken.
A U.S. State Department official reiterated this on Thursday when responding to a Voice of America question about South Korean data that says suspected illegal transshipments involving North Korean vessels rose two fold to 130 cases last year from the year before.
The official also warned that Washington will not hesitate to take unilateral action against entities that conduct prohibited activities or facilitate sanctions evasion.
While urging the international community to continue its pressure campaign, the State Department official opened the door for dialogue, saying that it remains ready to establish a stable peace on the Korean Peninsula, in parallel with the denuclearization efforts.
Washington's push for the international community to maintain the sanctions campaign is also evident in U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton's interview on Breitbart News on Wednesday.
Bolton said "China could really hold the key to this if they press North Korea hard enough", adding that Beijing takes over 90-percent of the North's external trade and that the U.S. will continue to press China to enforce all the sanctions against the regime.
Bolton also pointed out that China, too, has always said it doesn't want to see North Korea with nuclear weapons.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.