“Partial Lifting of Sanctions by Washington Will Lead to Partial Fulfillment of Initial Steps by Pyongyang”

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan (photo) representing North Korea in the six-party talks to resolve the country’s nuke issue said on March 10 that the North would carry out only part of the initial steps for denuclearization that it promised if the U.S. fails to fully lift sanctions on the North’s financial assets in the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia.

Kim said this to reporters that day at Beijing Capital International Airport on his way home after a bilateral meeting with his U.S. counterpart, adding, “The U.S. promised to fully lift the sanctions on North Korean assets at the BDA.” Coming five days prior to the deadline of the “lifting of the financial asset sanctions within 30 days,” which the U.S. promised by March 15, Kim’s remarks are interpreted as a strong warning to the U.S., which still backs only a partial asset freeze lifting.

Kim also said on the establishment of a peace regime in Northeast Asia that, “We (Pyongyang and Washington) agreed to establish a peace regime on the Korean peninsula and eliminate the legacy of the Cold War on the peninsula as soon as possible.” This leads to the prediction that the discussions on building a peace regime among four countries, including the two Koreas, the U.S. and China, will be accelerated.

He also said, “We agreed to resolve issues, such as removing North Korea from the list of terrorism-supporting countries, and lifting sanctions under the Trading with the Enemy Act as soon as possible according to our strategic interests, and to normalize bilateral diplomatic relations.” He added, “But there are still diplomatic issues to be solved,” without elaborating.

Asked about the Japanese position that the Japanese abductee issue should be resolved first, he said, “That is not important, and we wouldn’t budge,” stressing, “Both Pyongyang and Washington know that.”

onha@donga.com