[ad_1]
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea on Thursday rejected a proposal to lift some of its unilateral sanctions against North Korea following President Donald Trump's brutal retort that Seoul could "do nothing" "without the approval of Washington.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Wednesday that Seoul was considering lifting measures following a deadly attack in 2010 that killed 46 South Korean sailors. She mentioned the intention to create more diplomatic momentum for the negotiations on the North Korean nuclear program. The South Korean conservatives also reacted angrily and Kang's ministry downplayed his comments later, saying in a statement that the government had not yet begun a "full-fledged" review of the sanctions, which means that 39, no decision was imminent.
The Unification Minister, Cho Myoung-gyon, said during a parliamentary audit Thursday that the lifting of sanctions had not been seriously considered and that it would be difficult to do so if North Korea did not recognize responsibility for the 2010 attack. North Korea cruelly denied having sunk the Cheonan warship.
Trump's answer when he was questioned about Kang's comments hinted that friction between allies on the pace of inter-Korean engagement took place, while Washington feared that Pyongyang would be behind on its supposed promise of denuclearization.
"They will not do it without our approval," said Trump. "They do nothing without our approval."
Trump urged US allies to maintain sanctions against North Korea until it became a denuclearization in what his government described as a "maximum pressure" campaign against Kim Jong Un's government. .
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has mostly maintained its sanctions despite its active engagement with North Korea and the possibility of huge investments and joint economic plans in exchange for the North's renunciation of its weapons nuclear.
A measure taken by South Korea to lift some of its sanctions would have little immediate effect since the international sanctions imposed by the United States are still in force. But it is clear that Seoul is preparing to revive joint economic projects if broader nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea begin to bear fruit.
South Korea has effectively ended any cross-border economic cooperation and banned North Korea from using shipping lanes on South Korean territory during the 2010 sanctions. A jointly managed industrial park in the city of Kaesong, on the North Korean border, was not closed until 2016 following a North Korean nuclear test and the launch of a long-range rocket.
During Moon's visit to Pyongyang last month, its leader, Kim Jong Un, agreed to standardize operations in the Kaesong Industrial Park and resume joint visits to North Korea, where possible.
The North and South have also announced measures to reduce conventional military threats, such as creating buffer zones along their land and sea borders and a no-fly zone over the border. The North also announced that it would dismantle its main Nyongbyon nuclear facility if the United States took corresponding unspecified measures.
Washington, however, insisted that efforts to improve relations between the Koreas should go hand in hand with efforts to denuclearize the North.
Kang said on Wednesday that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had expressed his dissatisfaction with the Korean military agreement. Kang was not specific, but his comments are likely to fuel speculation. Washington has not fully adhered to the situation before the signing of the agreement by Seoul.
Despite three highs with Moon and one with Trump this year, Kim still has not shown convincingly that he is ready to give up his nuclear weapons.
Despite the current climate of relaxation and negotiation between the Koreas, the lifting of sanctions will be a difficult decision for the Seoul government.
South Koreans are deeply ideologically divided, and many people are still angry at the attack on North Korea in 1950 that sparked the Korean War. Since then, there have been some bloodshed. The 2010 attack on the warship was followed, a few months later, by the bombardment by North Korea of an island on the South Korean border causing four casualties and the destruction of homes.
Kang pointed out that many parts of the sanctions imposed by South Korea in 2010 are now duplicating the UN sanctions that were significantly strengthened after 2016, when the North began to accelerate its nuclear and missile tests. She also described Seoul's unilateral sanctions as a major impediment to the resumption of South Korean tourism in Diamond Mountain resort in the North, suspended in 2008 following the shooting death of a South Korean woman. .
But lifting such sanctions would not be enough to re-establish the tours, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korean expert at Seoul's Dongguk University and Moon's political advisor. While US sanctions against North Korea do not prohibit tourism, they impose strict restrictions on bulk cash transfers, he said. Nevertheless, the lifting of the 2010 sanctions could offer at least some tangible benefits to the North.
"For North Korea, the most significant result of the lifting of the May 24th measures would be that its ships will be able to cross Jeju Strait again," said Koh, referring to the waters between the Korean mainland and the mainland. the southern island of Jeju. "This will save them time and fuel."
The Washington Times Comment Policy
The Washington Times appreciates your feedback on Spot.im, our third-party provider. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
[ad_2]Source link
