North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is no longer interested in discussing denuclearization plans with US President Donald Trump after their talks fell apart abruptly Thursday, a senior Pyongyang official has warned.
Publish dateSunday 3 March 2019 - 08:56
Story Code : 180648
AVA- “I have a feeling that Chairman Kim may have lost the will (to continue) North Korea-US dealings," Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency Friday. "It's my personal feeling."
“I think about whether [we] should continue talks," she added, questioning the need to continue them after Trump said Thursday that he had to walk away from the meeting with Kim in Hanoi.
The American president said Pyongyang was ready to make concessions but not in areas that Washington had hoped for. He also claimed that Kim insisted on removing all US sanctions as a per-requisite to denuclearization.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, however, offered a starkly different breakdown of the summit, telling reporters in a separate presser that Pyongyang never asked for the removal of all sanctions.
According to him, Pyongyang had relayed to Trump that it was ready to "permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities" at Yongbyon – its main site – if the US agreed to scrap sanctions "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people."
Choe's remarks on Friday echoed those of Kim, who warned in his New Year's message that Pyongyang may take “a new path” if Washington keeps the country under pressure and sanctions.
Trump and Kim met at a historic summit in Singapore for the first time last year, where they agreed to work towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Subsequent diplomacy between the two sides, however, made little progress, mainly because the US refused to lift its harsh sanctions.
So far, Pyongyang has taken several steps toward the goal by suspending missile and nuclear testing, demolishing at least one nuclear test site, and agreeing to allow international inspectors into a missile engine test facility.
Washington, however, has insisted that sanctions on the North must remain in place until it completely and irreversibly dismantles its nuclear program.
Choe said in her remarks that Washington should have rewarded Pyongyang adequately by lifting at least some of the sanctions.
“I think about whether [we] should continue talks," she added, questioning the need to continue them after Trump said Thursday that he had to walk away from the meeting with Kim in Hanoi.
The American president said Pyongyang was ready to make concessions but not in areas that Washington had hoped for. He also claimed that Kim insisted on removing all US sanctions as a per-requisite to denuclearization.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, however, offered a starkly different breakdown of the summit, telling reporters in a separate presser that Pyongyang never asked for the removal of all sanctions.
According to him, Pyongyang had relayed to Trump that it was ready to "permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities" at Yongbyon – its main site – if the US agreed to scrap sanctions "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people."
Choe's remarks on Friday echoed those of Kim, who warned in his New Year's message that Pyongyang may take “a new path” if Washington keeps the country under pressure and sanctions.
Trump and Kim met at a historic summit in Singapore for the first time last year, where they agreed to work towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Subsequent diplomacy between the two sides, however, made little progress, mainly because the US refused to lift its harsh sanctions.
So far, Pyongyang has taken several steps toward the goal by suspending missile and nuclear testing, demolishing at least one nuclear test site, and agreeing to allow international inspectors into a missile engine test facility.
Washington, however, has insisted that sanctions on the North must remain in place until it completely and irreversibly dismantles its nuclear program.
Choe said in her remarks that Washington should have rewarded Pyongyang adequately by lifting at least some of the sanctions.
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