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US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert
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US government says it’s in dialogue with North Korea on nearly daily basis
North Korea announced that it remained “unchanged in our will” to “implement in good faith [. . .] step by step” the Joint Declaration from a recent summit with the US. “The U.S. should, even at this belated time, respond to our sincere efforts in a corresponding manner,” it urged. On Aug. 9, the US government announced that it was in dialogue with the North on nearly a daily basis by telephone and email. The situation means that discussions and negotiations are still going on despite large differences in opinion on matters including a declaration ending the Korean War and the reporting and inspections of nuclear facilities and materials. The message was interpreted as intended by Washington to manage the political situation after openly announcing plans for a fourth North Korea visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement published on the evening of Aug. 9 by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea blasted the US administration’s recent actions as “shameless and impertinent” – but also stressed its commitment to honoring the terms of the Joint Declaration from June 12. Expressing displeasure without crossing red lines The format suggests Pyongyang tempered its message to show maximum displeasure with the US while making it clear that it did not intend to cross any red lines. In short, it signaled that it has no plans in broader terms to upset the apple cart achieved politically by the two sides’ leaders with their Joint Declaration. “Now the issue in question is that [. . .] some high-level officials within the U.S. administration are [. . .] making desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions and pressure,” the statement said, adding that the officials in question were “going against the intention of president [Donald] Trump to advance the DPRK-U.S. relations, who is expressing gratitude to our goodwill measures for implementing the DPRK-U.S. joint statement.” Despite its harsh denunciations of the US, the statement repeatedly signaled the North’s trust in Trump. The statement was not published in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, suggesting the message was not intended for the North Korean public. In particular, the statement accused the US of “hindering international organizations’ cooperation with our country in the field of sports and forcing other countries not to send high-level delegations to the celebrations of the 70th founding anniversary of the DPRK [on Sept. 9].” Inflammatory language was used to the denounce the US’s actions, which were described as “highly despicable,” “insulting the dialogue partner,” and “shameless and impertinent.” Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert answered questions at a Aug. 9 briefing on whether Trump plans to have an additional meeting with North Korea. “I can tell you we continue to have conversations virtually every day, every other day or so,” she said. When asked whether she was referring specifically to conversations with the North Koreans, Nauert replied, “With the North Koreans, and when I say ‘conversations,’ that can be by phone, that can be my message, that can be by email.” “They take different forms, those conversations do,” she continued. “So we continue to have conversations with the [North Korean] government,” she added. “If and when we have travel announcements to make, I will certainly let you know, but we have nothing yet.” By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer, and Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
