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A screenshot of the first page of the Nov. 11 edition of the Rodong Sinmun
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N. Korean leader lambasts US’ “hostile forces” looking to “block improvements and development”
The battle of nerves between Pyongyang and Washington over the North Korea sanctions issue is heating up again as the two sides resume their dialogue, with high-level talks reportedly set to take place in the US next week to prepare for a second bilateral summit. In stories on the front and second pages of its Nov. 1 edition, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as saying during a visit to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism area construction site that “hostile forces are foolishly rampaging with dastardly sanction machinations to block improvements and development in our people’s welfare and force us to change and submit.” While Kim’s remarks were focused more on the “injustice” of the sanctions than on a call for their lifting, it is seen as unusual for him to mention the issue publicly ahead of the high-level talks with the US. The reference to sanctions was not the first by Kim. In its Aug. 17 edition, the Rodong Sinmun quoted Kim as saying during another visit to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism area site that the construction effort was part of an “intense confrontation with hostile forces who seek to suffocate our people with a forceful blockade of sanctions.” During his August visit, Kim pushed the zone’s completion date back six months to “October 10 of next year” (the anniversary of the WPK’s establishment) from the Apr. 15 date (the Day of the Sun holiday, founding leader Kim Il-sung’s birthday) mentioned during his first visit in May. Analysts saw the measure as based on a determination that the lifting of sanctions by the US would happen later than initially planned. Kim’s visit to the Wonsan coastal tourism area was his third this year. The Rodong Sinmun also reported on Oct. 30 that Kim had given on-the-spot guidance in Samjiyon County for a third time in 2018. The efforts were seen as intended to personally check on and encourage the four major construction projects emphasized in his New Year’s address. During his visit to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism area, Kim said the “country’s situation is difficult at the moment,” but added, “I can already see the day before long when [Wonsan’s Myongsasimni Beach] is crowded with people.” US Treasury Department issues financial transaction advisory against N. Korea Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a financial transaction advisory on Oct. 31 warning that North Korea presents a risk of laundering money and terrorism financing, Voice of America reported on Nov. 1. In its advisory, FinCEN said the OECD-affiliate Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had urged member countries to take response actions against North Korea to protect the international financial system from money laundering and terrorist financing risk factors. It went on to provide a detailed four-page explanation including information on the major content of related UN Security Council resolutions and independent sanctions by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) based on an executive order by the US President. FinCEN previously issued an identical advisory on Oct. 21. With its renewed advisory, the Treasury Department appears to be a stronger signal that sanctions against North Korea are to be kept in place following FATF designating North Korea once again as a state requiring response measures. By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer, and Park Min-hee, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
