In Message to North Korean UN Mission, U.S. Recognizes North Korea as Sovereign State

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported from Washington on May 19 that the United States government officially sent a message to North Korea for the first time recognizing the communist country as a sovereign state.

On May 13, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Joseph DeTrani reportedly visited the North Korean Mission at the United Nations to explain the U.S. government’s position to Ambassador Park Gil Yon and Vice Ambassador Han Song Ryol. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has mentioned several times in her speeches that North Korea is a sovereign state, but has never delivered that message directly to the North.

The Asahi Shimbun reported that, on this occasion, the United States emphasized that it had no intention to use military force against North Korea, and that a North Korean official promised to convey the U.S. position to his government.

Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com