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The North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun published a piece criticizing the US for hampering progress in inter-Korean relations on Sept. 4.
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US continues to emphasize progress in denuclearization above everything else
The North Korean press sent a message openly criticizing the US for hampering progress in inter-Korean relations through implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration. The Rodong Sinmun, which serves as the newspaper for the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee, took aim at the US’s recent attitude in a personal column titled “Obstructing inter-Korean relations blocks path ahead for US” on page 6 of its Sept. 4 edition. “The whole world was stirred when the historic Panmunjom Declaration was announced in April, and the US more than anyone raised its hands to express its approval,” the piece said. “For days on end, discomforting words have been coming from across the Pacific [in the US] about the different cooperation projects taking place between North and South,” it continued. “The US is now having this or that ‘spokesperson’ or ‘official’ come out and grumble about how progress in inter-Korean relations must be strictly tied to denuclearization, and how inter-Korean cooperation projects of any form will have the effect of hastening the lifting of economic and diplomatic pressure against North Korea and reducing the chances of reaching the denuclearization goal,” it said. On Aug. 31, an official with the office of the US State Department spokesperson responded to Seoul’s dispatching of a special envoy delegation to Pyongyang by stressing that progress in inter-Korean relations must follow in step with progress in denuclearization. The remarks were read as Washington demanding that Seoul slow down its implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration and inter-Korean cooperation efforts. In particular, the newspaper cited the examples of the opening of a joint inter-Korean liaison office and linking and modernization of inter-Korean railways and roads as agreed upon in the Panmunjom Declaration, along with the possible resumption of activity at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and tourism at Mt. Kumgang once sanctions against North Korea have been lifted. “In every case, [the US] has been obstructing things by talking about how it is ‘too early’ or whatnot. It has even taken issue with the scheduled inter-Korean summit, grumbling about the ‘growing discord’ between Seoul and Washington,” the piece said, sending a critical message on the shift from Washington’s past expressions of hope for reconciliation, prosperity, and peace on the Korean Peninsula and preference for a diplomatic solution. Indeed, a plan by South and North Korea to have a South Korean train travel to Sinuiju on Aug. 23 to examine the state of North Korea’s railway section as a part of a joint study for the linking and modernization of inter-Korean railways and roads agreed upon in the Panmunjom Declaration ended up being disallowed by the UN Command, sparking controversy over what some saw as the US infringing on South Korean sovereignty. “The argument by one member of the foreign press that the successful pursuit of inter-Korean cooperation projects hinges on the courage and diligence of South Korean authorities at a time when the US is becoming a fundamental obstacle to inter-Korean relations is being proven utterly correct,” the Rodong Sinmun piece said. “The driving force for inter-Korean relations lies with the Korean people, and the speed of progress follows the timetable that we have decided,” it stressed, sending the message that the Panmunjom Declaration by South and North Korea should be implemented as planned despite the impasse in North Korea-US relations. By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
