North Korea cut short, Sunday, May 2, the attempted rapprochement initiated recently by the United States, by vigorously rejecting the idea of discussions between the two countries.
The stance comes after the US administration said President Joe Biden supported an approach “Open to diplomacy” with North Korea on denuclearization. Diplomacy was for the United States a “Spurious sign” destined to “Cover up their hostile acts”, said the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement released by the official North Korean agency KCNA.
He also warned US President Joe Biden that he had committed a “Big blunder” with his position “Outdated” to the country. In a separate statement, also released by KCNA, the ministry accused the US president of insulting Kim Jong-un, adding: “We have warned the United States enough to understand that they will be wronged if they provoke us. “
Halfway between Trump’s voluntarism and Obama’s patience
Joe Biden told Congress on Wednesday he would use “Diplomacy as much as severe deterrence” to contain Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. American politics will see “A calibrated, practical approach, open to diplomacy” with North Korea, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday. “Our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”, she recalled.
Pleading for an approach “Realistic” through diplomatic channels, in close consultation with South Korea and Japan, it has remained evasive on possible initiatives under consideration, while distancing itself from previous administrations. “Our policy will not be centered on the search for a great agreement”, she underlined, clearly marking the difference with the approach of Donald Trump. “But it will not rely on strategic patience either”, she added, referring to an expression used during Barack Obama’s presidency.
On April 21, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called on Joe Biden to restart negotiations with Pyongyang. “The most important thing for the two governments is to have a desire for dialogue and to sit down face to face as quickly as possible”, said Mr. Moon, who is expected on May 21 at the White House to meet the US president.
Negotiations between the United States and North Korea have been at a standstill since the failure of the second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February 2019 and Pyongyang resumed its missile tests.