US envoy visits Korean demilitarised zone

The United States (US) ambassador to the United Nations (UN) visited the heavily-fortified border between North and South Korea yesterday, urging Pyongyang to return to talks as global enforcement of UN sanctions stumbles.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield arrived in South Korea on Sunday on a trip aimed at keeping up pressure on the nuclear-armed North after Russia last month used its UN veto to effectively end UN monitoring of violations of the raft of sanctions on Kim Jong-un’s regime.

Experts have said the shift was a victory for Kim, who has ramped up ties with Moscow.

They said Washington and Seoul claimed that the north was sending Russia weapons for use in Ukraine.

“The US harbours no hostile intent towards the DPRK,” ThomasGreenfield said at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, referring to the North by the acronym of its official name. “We have held the doors open for meaningful diplomacy and we remain open to dialogue, real, productive dialogue without preconditions,” she said.

“All the DPRK (has) to do is say ‘yes’ and show up to the table.”

Washington and Seoul have condemned Moscow for its move at the UN, calling it “irresponsible”. Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, with the former declaring Moscow ties his country’s “No. 1 priority”.

Seoul has since claimed that the North has sent 7,000 containers of arms to Russia.

“This is a concern of ours,” Thomas-Greenfield said, when asked about North Korea-Russia ties.

“It is the reason we’re seeing Russia protect the DPRK in the council vetoing the 1718 Panel of Experts resolution, blocking efforts to hold the DPRK accountable for numerous violations of resolutions in the council.”