No change in North Korea policy, US assures allies

tokyo — The United States on Thursday reassured its key Asian allies Japan and South Korea that its policy seeking North Korea’s nuclear disarmament remains unchanged, after its intelligence chief called it a “lost cause”.

Washington has always maintained it cannot accept North Korea as a nuclear state and, under President Barack Obama, has made any talks with Pyongyang conditional on the country first making some tangible commitment towards denuclearisation.

But in remarks to a think-tank earlier this week, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper suggested that such a policy was based on wishful thinking, saying: “The notion of getting the North Koreans to denuclearise is probably a lost cause.”

US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken took issue with that view in Tokyo after a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts. “Our policy has not changed,” he said.

“We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state, we will not accept North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons. Period.”

The threat from North Korea is growing “more acute by the day” as the country ramps up its missile and nuclear tests, he added. —

We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state, we will not accept North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons. Period.” US Deputy Secretary of State

Antony Blinken,