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North Korea cancels talks with South, and hints it could do the same with US North Korea cancels talks with South, and hints it could do the same with US
(about 1 hour later)
The North Korean regime has called off high-level talks with Seoul and hinted it could also pull out of a planned summit with Donald Trump, in protest at joint exercises by the US and South Korean militaries.The North Korean regime has called off high-level talks with Seoul and hinted it could also pull out of a planned summit with Donald Trump, in protest at joint exercises by the US and South Korean militaries.
Analysts said that the language used in the North Korean warning was mild by the regime’s standards, but it marks the first significant setback since Kim Jong-un began a diplomatic opening in March, and could be a sign of brinksmanship to come in the run-up to the Kim-Trump summit scheduled for Singapore on 12 July. Analysts said that the language used in the North Korean warning was mild by the regime’s standards, but it marks the first significant setback since Kim Jong-un began a diplomatic opening in March, and could be a sign of brinksmanship to come in the run-up to the Kim-Trump summit scheduled for Singapore on 12 June.
“The United States will also have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned North Korea-US summit in light of this provocative military ruckus jointly conducted with the South Korean authorities,” a statement from the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, said in reference to drills by the US and South Korean air forces. “There is a limit to showing good will and opportunity,” a statement from the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, said in reference to drills by the US and South Korean air forces.
The statement said two-week air exercises, codenamed Max Thunder, which began on Friday involving about 100 warplanes from both countries, were aimed at North Korea. “The United States will also have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned North Korea-US summit in light of this provocative military racket in league with the South Korean authorities.”
The statement said two-week air exercises, codenamed Max Thunder, which began on Friday involving about 100 warplanes from both countries, including B52 bombers, were aimed at North Korea.
It said the manoeuvres represented a “flagrant challenge” to the joint declaration by Kim and the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, at a summit at the “truce village” of Panmunjmon on the dividing line between their countries in April.It said the manoeuvres represented a “flagrant challenge” to the joint declaration by Kim and the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, at a summit at the “truce village” of Panmunjmon on the dividing line between their countries in April.
The two leaders agreed to completely “cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain, including land, air and sea, that are the source of military tension and conflict”.The two leaders agreed to completely “cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain, including land, air and sea, that are the source of military tension and conflict”.
The state department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said the US had not heard directly from North Korea about any second thoughts.The state department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said the US had not heard directly from North Korea about any second thoughts.
“What we have to go on is what Kim Jong-un has said before, that he understands and appreciates the importance to the United States of having these joint exercises,” Nauert said. “We have had no formal or informal notification of anything.”“What we have to go on is what Kim Jong-un has said before, that he understands and appreciates the importance to the United States of having these joint exercises,” Nauert said. “We have had no formal or informal notification of anything.”
In its complaint about the exercises, the Pyongyang regime described them as offensive war games targeting North Korea. A Pentagon spokesman, Col Rob Manning, issued a statement insisting they were defensive in nature.
“The purpose of the training is to enhance the ROK-US Alliance’s ability to defend the ROK and enhance interoperability and readiness. While we will not discuss specifics, the defensive nature of these combined exercises has been clear for many decades and has not changed,”Manning said.
US and South Korean officials had previously said that North Korea would accept joint military exercises would go ahead as planned in the run-up to the Trump summit.US and South Korean officials had previously said that North Korea would accept joint military exercises would go ahead as planned in the run-up to the Trump summit.
“Kim Jong-un simply said he could understand why the joint exercises must resume in April on the same scale as before,” Chung Eui-yong, President Moon’s national security adviser, told reporters in March.“Kim Jong-un simply said he could understand why the joint exercises must resume in April on the same scale as before,” Chung Eui-yong, President Moon’s national security adviser, told reporters in March.
The Panmunjmon summit was supposed to have been followed by a meeting of senior officials from the two Koreas on Wednesday to discuss next steps, but has now been cancelled by Pyongyang.The Panmunjmon summit was supposed to have been followed by a meeting of senior officials from the two Koreas on Wednesday to discuss next steps, but has now been cancelled by Pyongyang.
“The North Koreans know how to make an explicit threat. By their standards, this is pretty circumspect,” said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. “The North Koreans know how to make an explicit threat. By their standards, this is pretty circumspect,” said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. “It could very well be a play for additional leverage or to see how the Trump team reacts.”
“It could very well be a play for additional leverage or to see how the Trump team reacts. However, the statement does reinstate the link between negotiations and joint exercises, which suggests that negotiation and implementation of any agreement will to some extent depend on allied restraint.” Mintaro Oba, a former state department expert on Korea, said in a tweet: “North Korea threatening to cancel things to put pressure on Seoul or Washington is about par for the course.”
Oba added: “The question is whether they’re willing to go so far as to go through with it, or whether they’re mainly trying to gain some leverage [and] test how much we want the summit.”
Meanwhile, satellite photos suggest that the North Korean leadership is so far following through on its promise to dismantle its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri.
Pictures published by 38 North, a website analysing Korean issues, several buildings around the mountain site have been razed in recent days.
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