Trump says South Korea will not lift North Korea's sanctions without US approval

SEOUL / WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that South Korea would not lift sanctions imposed on Pyongyang without US approval after the South Korean foreign minister said he had been killed. softened his remarks that some of his unilateral sanctions were under review.

Trump's rejection of the easing of sanctions imposed by South Korea alone describes the official position of the United States and South Korea that the two countries remain stuck on North Korea.

He urged US allies to maintain sanctions against North Korea until it became denuclearized as part of its administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Pyongyang.

Asked about reports that South Korea was considering lifting some sanctions against North Korea, Trump said, "They will not do it without our approval. They do nothing without our approval.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said at a parliamentary audit on Wednesday that Seoul is considering easing its own sanctions against the North to encourage denuclearization.

South Korea imposed unilateral sanctions on the North in 2010 after the attack on a warship that killed 46 South Korean sailors, banning most bilateral trade and exchanges.

Kang then resumed comments after provoking criticism from some conservative lawmakers, saying that North Korea should first apologize for the attack.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry also officially denied that the government was examining the issue.

However, there are more and more calls for a relaxation of sanctions.

China, Russia and North Korea believe it is necessary to consider adapting US sanctions against Pyongyang at a convenient time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

In a rare confirmation of contention between Seoul and Washington, South Korean Kang said Wednesday that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed "dissatisfaction" with the inter-Korean military pact reached at the summit last month.

She said that there were views in the United States regarding "rhythm adjustment" of inter-Korean movements.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at their historic summit held in Singapore last June, have taken initiatives for denuclearization, although there have been differences of opinion since then about how this goal would be achieved. achieved.

(The story is refiled to reflect 46 sailors killed in paragraph six.)