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North Korea Sets Conditions for Return to Talks North Korea Sets Conditions for Return to Talks
(about 3 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Thursday demanded the lifting of United Nations sanctions and an end to joint American-South Korean military exercises as preconditions for starting dialogue to defuse tension on the Korean Peninsula.SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Thursday demanded the lifting of United Nations sanctions and an end to joint American-South Korean military exercises as preconditions for starting dialogue to defuse tension on the Korean Peninsula.
By making demands that both Washington and Seoul had no intention of accepting, North Korea signaled that it would not stand down anytime soon from a weeks-long military standoff. By making demands that both the United States and South Korea had no intention of accepting, North Korea signaled that it would not stand down anytime soon from a military standoff that has lasted for weeks.
But the fact that North Korea has recently begun responding to U.S. and South Korean offers for dialogue, even though they came with steep preconditions, has raised cautious hopes among South Korean analysts that the North might be ready to wind down weeks of hostile rhetoric that at times appeared to bring the peninsula close to a point of conflict. But the fact that North Korea has recently begun responding to American and South Korean offers for dialogue, even though they came with steep preconditions, has raised cautious hopes among South Korean analysts that the North might be ready to wind down weeks of hostile rhetoric that at times appeared to bring the peninsula close to a point of conflict.
“They should take measures of retracting the U.N. Security Council’s ‘resolutions on sanctions’ cooked up under absurd pretexts,” the Policy Department of the National Defense Commission, North Korea’s highest governing body, said in a statement carried by its official Korean Central News Agency. “They should give formal assurances before the world that they would not stage again such nuclear war drills to threaten or blackmail” the North, it added.“They should take measures of retracting the U.N. Security Council’s ‘resolutions on sanctions’ cooked up under absurd pretexts,” the Policy Department of the National Defense Commission, North Korea’s highest governing body, said in a statement carried by its official Korean Central News Agency. “They should give formal assurances before the world that they would not stage again such nuclear war drills to threaten or blackmail” the North, it added.
The statement demanded that Washington withdraw “all nuclear war means” from South Korea. It also said South Korea must stop making negative assertions about North Korea, such as its accusation blaming North Korea for a cyberattack that paralyzed the computer networks of South Korean broadcasters and banks last month. The statement demanded that the United States withdraw “all nuclear war means” from South Korea. It also said South Korea must stop making negative assertions about North Korea, like its accusation blaming North Korea for a cyberattack that paralyzed the computer networks of South Korean broadcasters and banks last month.
It also taunted President Park Geun-hye of South Korea, saying that she should consider the North’s nuclear weapons “a property common to the nation.” Ms. Park has repeatedly said that nuclear weapons would only bring North Korea “self-destruction.”It also taunted President Park Geun-hye of South Korea, saying that she should consider the North’s nuclear weapons “a property common to the nation.” Ms. Park has repeatedly said that nuclear weapons would only bring North Korea “self-destruction.”
After weeks of tit-for-tat escalation of tension with North Korea, South Korea offered dialogue last Thursday. Then during his trip in the region last weekend, Secretary of State John Kerry of the United States said “our preference would be to get to talks.” After weeks of tit-for-tat escalation of tension with North Korea, South Korea offered dialogue last Thursday. Then during his trip in the region last weekend, Secretary of State John Kerry said “our preference would be to get to talks.”
His comment helped calm jitters in the region, which has been rattled not only by the North’s nuclear brinkmanship but also by Washington’s unusual show of strength, including the training missions of nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 bombers, as well as F-22 Stealth fighter jets, over South Korea.His comment helped calm jitters in the region, which has been rattled not only by the North’s nuclear brinkmanship but also by Washington’s unusual show of strength, including the training missions of nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 bombers, as well as F-22 Stealth fighter jets, over South Korea.
But Mr. Kerry also reaffirmed Washington’s condition that North Korea must first “make it clear they will move to denuclearizing as part of the talks.”But Mr. Kerry also reaffirmed Washington’s condition that North Korea must first “make it clear they will move to denuclearizing as part of the talks.”
North Korea had rejected those offers, calling them “cunning” deceits.North Korea had rejected those offers, calling them “cunning” deceits.
A gulf of differences remained. Pyongyang insisted that it would never negotiate away its nuclear weapons. Both Seoul and Washington are equally determined to break what Ms. Park calls a “vicious cycle'’ of the allies answering Pyongyang’s hostile behavior with compromise. A gulf of differences remained. North Korea insisted that it would never negotiate away its nuclear weapons. Both the South and the United States are equally determined to break what Ms. Park calls a “vicious cycle” of the allies answering the North’s hostile behavior with compromise.
The South Koreans, “along with their American master, are still talking such nonsense as ‘denuclearization’ in the North in a bid to make a bargain over its nukes,” said a spokesman for the North’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea on Thursday. “They would be well advised to drop such daydream.”The South Koreans, “along with their American master, are still talking such nonsense as ‘denuclearization’ in the North in a bid to make a bargain over its nukes,” said a spokesman for the North’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea on Thursday. “They would be well advised to drop such daydream.”
He said North Korea was “technically at a nuclear war with the U.S.” North Korea said last month that the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War was “totally nullified.” He said the North was “technically at a nuclear war with the U.S.” North Korea said last month that the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War was “totally nullified.”
North Korea has ratcheted up tension on the divided peninsula for weeks out of anger over the United Nations sanctions imposed for its its Feb. 12 nuclear test.North Korea has ratcheted up tension on the divided peninsula for weeks out of anger over the United Nations sanctions imposed for its its Feb. 12 nuclear test.