Biden takes a firm stance on N. Korean nuclear issue

The Joe Biden administration of the U.S. suggested on Friday (local time) a new framework for North Korea policy, which looks for a practical approach of imposing sanctions and continuing on with diplomacy, while maintaining the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. As a response, North Korea put pressure on both South Korea and the U.S. on Sunday through warnings made in three occasions by Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, a foreign ministry spokesperson, and a director for the U.S. of the foreign ministry. Some believe that it may be difficult to have inter-Korean talks in the near future. 　

Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday (local time) after confirm‎ing the completion of the North Korea policy review, “Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience.” This means that the current U.S. administration will not choose the Obama administration’s approach that distanced itself from the North Korea issue or the Trump administration’s top-down approach to the nuclear issue.

However, the North warned, “They will face a serious situation.” It is a response toward Biden’s first congressional speech that mentioned “diplomacy” and “strong sanctions” as the principle of North Korea policy on Wednesday (local time) and America’s continuous presentation of North Korean human rights issue. The South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae did not make an official announcement regarding this. “The South Korean government is anticipating positive responses of the North for efforts made by the U.S. and South Korea,” said the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.


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