North Korea lashed out at the US for not lifting up the sanctions, risking stability on the Korean peninsula. On Thursday, the North Korean foreign ministry issued an irate statement that America’s push for full sanctions pressure against North Korea could put the progress on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula on stall.
Over its nuclear weapon programme and missile tests, North Korea remains under a range of international and US sanctions. President Trump wants full nuclear disarmament before sanctions can be lifted.
Both US and North Korea agreed in June to work towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Although Pyongyang did not commit to unilaterally giving up its nuclear weapons, yet this agreement was seen as a milestone in the US-Korean relations.
Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton said this week that Pyongyang is not living up to its end of the deal. Also last week a leaked UN report stated that North Korea had not ceased its nuclear weapon building activities. Trump administration made it clear to Kim Jung Un that the state is “not willing to wait for too long”. To compel North to give up its nuclear arsenal it is important to maintain diplomatic and economic pressure on the rhetoric regime.
Such exchanges of harsh statements and mistrust could also threaten the possibility of a second Trump-Kim Summit, but could also risk security ahead of planned Koreas summit. The two Koreas will hold high-level talks next week to prepare for a meeting between the South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as part of a diplomatic rapprochement.