Moratorium on nuclear, missile tests may be lifted
North Korea has suggested it might call off its 20-month suspension of nuclear and missile tests because of summertime US-South Korean military drills that the North calls preparation for an eventual invasion.
The statement by the North’s Foreign Ministry comes during a general deadlock in nuclear talks, but after an extraordinary meeting of the US and North Korean leaders at the Korean border that raised hopes that negotiations would soon resume.
The comments ramp up pressure on the United States ahead of any new talks.
North Korea has had longstanding antipathy towards US-South Korean military co-operation, which the allies call defensive and routine but the North sees as hostile.
At the dramatic June 30 meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, Trump crossed the border dividing the North and South, becoming the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korean territory. The leaders agreed in closed-door talks to resume nuclear diplomacy that had been stalled since their failed second summit in Vietnam in February.
Despite the seeming minibreakthrough, there has been little public progress since. North Korea wants widespread relief from harsh US-led sanctions in return for pledging to give up parts of its weapons programme, but the United States is demanding greater steps towards disarmament before it agrees to relinquish the leverage provided by the sanctions.
Amid the diplomatic jockeying, North Korea said that expected regular US-South Korean military drills are forcing it to rethink whether to remain committed to the promises it has made to the United States. It cited its moratorium on nuclear and missile tests and other steps aimed at improving ties with Washington.
The statement said Trump vowed to suspend military drills with South Korea during his first and third meetings with Kim, but the expected summertime drills with Seoul and the deployment of weapons in the South show that Washington is not fulfilling that promise. ‘‘With the US unilaterally reneging on its commitments, we are gradually losing our justifications to follow through on the commitments we made with the US as well,’’ said the statement, carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. – AP