North Korea ratcheting up nuclear tension

Pyongyang demands that America lift its economic sanctions

TOKYO — North Korea has threatened to restart the development of its nuclear weapons program unless the United States lifts sanctions, underscoring one of the major potential stumbling blocks in Washington’s diplomatic outreach with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The Trump administration has insisted sanctions and other pressures remain on North Korea until it dismantles its nuclear program.

Kim’s regime, however, always has demanded a step-by-step process of denuclearization that would include lifting U.S. sanctions along the way.

In the past month, Pyongyang has stepped up its calls for sanctions relief.

The statement released late Friday by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry is the latest indication that negotiations over its nuclear program have hit an impasse.

The issue of sanctions also has created a rift between Seoul and Washington.

South Korea has backed the North’s call for sanctions relief and is keen to get moving on an ambitious program of economic development and cooperation, including building road and rail links across their heavily militarized frontier.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry warned that unless sanctions were lifted and Washington stopped behaving “arrogantly,” North Korea could reinstate “pyongjin” — its policy of simultaneously developing its nuclear weapons program alongside seeking economic development.

In April, Kim declared that the country’s nuclear weapons program was sufficiently advanced and that the policy of “pyongjin” would be replaced by a single focus on improving the economy.

Backtracking could reignite tensions with the United States. Still, neither side has turned its back on negotiations.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told journalists he will meet his North Korean “counterpart” for further talks soon, although he didn’t specify exactly when, where or with whom those talks would take place.

Pompeo met Kim in Pyongyang last month and says he secured a promise to allow American inspectors into two nuclear and missile testing sites to check on their dismantlement.

Speaking on “The Laura Ingraham Show” last week, Pompeo said a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump could happen early next year and enable “a substantial breakthrough in taking down the nuclear threat from North Korea.”

In an interview Friday with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Pompeo said that “a lot of work” remains to be done, but added: “I’m confident that we will keep the economic pressure in place until such time as Chairman Kim fulfills the commitment he made to President Trump back in June in Singapore.”

That oft-repeated refrain about pressure is the problem in Pyongyang’s eyes. North Korea argues that Trump promised Kim in June that a new era in relations was beginning.

“The improvement of relations and sanctions are incompatible,” the Foreign Ministry commentary said. “‘Friendship’ is incompatible with ‘pressure.’”

The Foreign Ministry asked Washington to abandon its “foolish daydream” that sanctions and pressure will lead to denuclearization.