DPRK says denuclearization pledge not result of US-led sanctions

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Sunday its intention to denuclearize, unveiled at a historic inter-Korean summit, was not the result of US-led sanctions and pressure, warning the United States not to mislead public opinion.

The DPRK has been hit by a series of UN and US sanctions in recent years in a bid to rein in its nuclear and missile programs.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade on April 27, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) exchange their joint declaration, titled the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, at Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom, April 27, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

DPRK’s official KCNA news agency said Washington was “misleading public opinion” by claiming the denuclearization pledge was the result of sanctions and other pressure.

The United States should not “deliberately provoke” the DPRK by moving to deploy strategic assets in South Korea and raising human rights issues, KCNA said, citing a foreign ministry spokesman.

"This act cannot be construed otherwise than a dangerous attempt to ruin the hardly-won atmosphere of dialogue and bring the situation back to square one,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.

It would not be conducive to resolving the issue of denuclearization if Washington miscalculated DPRK’s “peace-loving intention” as a sign of weakness and continued to pursue its pressure and military threats, KCNA said.

Source(s): Reuters