N. Korea shows discontent over stalled nuke talks and still-existing sanctions pressure
- 5 years ago
北, 리용호 외무상 유엔총회 불참에 이어 유엔직원 감축 통보... 제재압박에 불만 드러내
North Korea has decided not to send its Foreign Minister to the UN General Assembly later this month, citing "scheduling reasons."
At the same time, Pyeongyang has told the UN to scale down its staff presence in the North... a possible sign of the North's discontent over sanctions and lack of progress in nuclear talks.
Our Oh Jung-hee has the details.
Ahead of the UN General Assembly that's set to take place later this month,... North Korea is expressing its discontent over the status quo,... namely the stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S. and sanctions pressure.
While there were hopes for a high-level meeting between North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the UN gathering in New York, Pyeongyang has decided... that its top diplomat won't be there.
According to Reuters, North Korea's mission to the UN cited Ri's scheduling reasons.
But, his absence comes after Ri denounced Pompeo last month for remarks on keeping "strongest-ever sanctions" and called him (quote)"the diehard toxin of U.S. diplomacy."
At the same time,... the North has told the UN to cut down its number of staff members in the North for humanitarian aid.
Reuters reports... the secretary general of Pyeongyang's National Coordinating Committee for the UN sent a letter to the top UN official in North Korea last month.
He said... UN's humanitarian aid programs have failed as they've been politicized by (quote)"hostile forces."
The North demanded the staff of UNDP, WHO, UNICEF and WFP be cut down by the end of the year.
It added... it doesn't need aid coordination officers... and they may visit the North when required.
"I think the North Korean leadership is trying to send a message to the world that economic sanctions on North Korea are unjust and very destructive to the North Korean people and should be lifted. And at the same time, the North Korean leadership is trying to send a message to the Trump administration that time does not necessarily favor the U.S."
The news comes as North Korea seeks to deepen relations with China and Russia amid a prolonged stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the U.S.
An unnamed UN diplomat told Reuters... that Beijing and Moscow have recently pushed a (quote)"false narrative" that sanctions are the cause of the humanitarian crisis in the North... and therefore, should be lifted.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
North Korea has decided not to send its Foreign Minister to the UN General Assembly later this month, citing "scheduling reasons."
At the same time, Pyeongyang has told the UN to scale down its staff presence in the North... a possible sign of the North's discontent over sanctions and lack of progress in nuclear talks.
Our Oh Jung-hee has the details.
Ahead of the UN General Assembly that's set to take place later this month,... North Korea is expressing its discontent over the status quo,... namely the stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S. and sanctions pressure.
While there were hopes for a high-level meeting between North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the UN gathering in New York, Pyeongyang has decided... that its top diplomat won't be there.
According to Reuters, North Korea's mission to the UN cited Ri's scheduling reasons.
But, his absence comes after Ri denounced Pompeo last month for remarks on keeping "strongest-ever sanctions" and called him (quote)"the diehard toxin of U.S. diplomacy."
At the same time,... the North has told the UN to cut down its number of staff members in the North for humanitarian aid.
Reuters reports... the secretary general of Pyeongyang's National Coordinating Committee for the UN sent a letter to the top UN official in North Korea last month.
He said... UN's humanitarian aid programs have failed as they've been politicized by (quote)"hostile forces."
The North demanded the staff of UNDP, WHO, UNICEF and WFP be cut down by the end of the year.
It added... it doesn't need aid coordination officers... and they may visit the North when required.
"I think the North Korean leadership is trying to send a message to the world that economic sanctions on North Korea are unjust and very destructive to the North Korean people and should be lifted. And at the same time, the North Korean leadership is trying to send a message to the Trump administration that time does not necessarily favor the U.S."
The news comes as North Korea seeks to deepen relations with China and Russia amid a prolonged stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the U.S.
An unnamed UN diplomat told Reuters... that Beijing and Moscow have recently pushed a (quote)"false narrative" that sanctions are the cause of the humanitarian crisis in the North... and therefore, should be lifted.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.