US conflicting attitudes on the DPRK issue

World
Europe

The sixth anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il, the father of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un, is drawing the world's attention to the DPRK again.

With somber music playing in the sub-zero air, thousands upon thousands of people marched up Pyongyang's Mansu Hill on Saturday.

The "calm atmosphere" in the DPRK however is not reflected in the relations between Washington and Pyongyang, between which tensions are running high.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday the DPRK needs to "earn" its way back to negotiations during a UN Security Council meeting, despite noting that Washington is "still open" to direct talks with Pyongyang.

Tillerson's statement however contradicts his earlier offer to engage the DPRK in talks without preconditions.

Tillerson often insists on using diplomatic measures to deal with the DPRK, and analysts say he helps counter the more aggressive stance President Donald Trump has adopted when discussing the country's missile and nuclear programs.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at a press briefing at the State Department in Washington, US, August 22, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Tillerson has stuck with the president's core message when making public announcements, insisting that Trump has a clear policy on the DPRK.

"The president's policy on North Korea (DPRK) is quite clear and there's no daylight at all between the president, his policy and the pursuit of the policy."

But former US Negotiator to the DPRK and Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill openly criticized the current administration, saying that "Trump has no idea what to do next".

And it seems the president doesn't seem to know who should handle the issue either.

Current Assistant Secretary of State on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thorton has yet to present a clear stance on the DPRK.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is elbow-deep in an ongoing misconduct investigation, while the current national security adviser Herbert McMaster has never provided a formal statement on the problem.