DPRK Calls on U.S. to Mark First Anniversary of Historic Joint Statement by Implementing It with a New Spirit
DPRK-U.S. Summit, one year ago, June 12, 2018.
On June 3, the eve of the first anniversary of the
historic
first Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)-U.S. Summit
between Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Donald
Trump, the Foreign
Ministry of the DPRK issued a statement summing up the year since
that meeting, June 12, 2018 in Singapore.
The statement begins by noting that the DPRK-U.S. Summit
was a
momentous event that inspired the hope of the Korean
people and the whole of humanity that a new day had dawned in
relations between the DPRK and the U.S., which had been
adversaries for close to 70 years. The DPRK Foreign Ministry
emphasizes that the DPRK-U.S. Summit showed the world that "even
the countries with the most hostile relations could lay out an
avenue for establishing new relations once they make politically
decisive steps to defend peace and stability, giving these issues
top priority."
The statement then points out that the government of the
DPRK
over the last year has worked tirelessly to establish "new
DPRK-U.S. relations, build a lasting and stable peace regime on
the Korean Peninsula and achieve denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula, as has been stipulated in the June 12, 2018 DPRK-U.S.
Joint Statement..." that was signed by the two leaders at the
first-ever DPRK-U.S. talks.
However, it adds, the U.S. has not reciprocated in the
same
spirit and continues to plan to "annihilate us by force," has
disregarded its obligations to act in accordance with the letter
and spirit of the DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement and has continued to
insist unilaterally that the DPRK denuclearize first.
The Foreign Ministry statement notes that the stand and
approach of the U.S. was made abundantly clear at the second
DPRK-U.S. Summit talks in Hanoi in February this year. There, the
statement notes, the "United States made the biggest mistake of
missing a lifetime opportunity" by insisting that the DPRK
dismantle its nuclear arsenal as a precondition to negotiations,
and that unilateral demand was unacceptable.
The DPRK Foreign Ministry statement points out that had
the
U.S. approached bilateral relations with a "serious position and
sincere attitude for implementing it" and "done anything of a
little help" then the issue of the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula would have made some headway.
The DPRK Foreign Ministry also references the major
policy
statement made by Chairman Kim to the Supreme People's Assembly
of the DPRK on April 13 this year where he emphasized that given
the "deep-rooted hostility between the DPRK and the U.S." it
would require both sides to give up unilateral demands in order
to implement the June 12, 2018 Summit Agreement and since the
DPRK had already made moves in this direction, that the U.S. must
do the same.
The DPRK Foreign Ministry reminds the U.S. that the June
12,
2018 Joint Statement "is the commitment which the two countries
have pledged to the world and to humankind, and it is the task
both sides should be jointly accountable for."
The Foreign Ministry statement affirms that the DPRK
remains
firmly committed to implementing the June 12, 2018 DPRK-U.S.
Joint Statement in good faith. But it warns that if
the U.S. fails to carry out its obligation and keeps resorting to
its anti-DPRK hostile policy, the fate of the Joint Statement will be
bleak.
The Foreign Ministry's statement underlines that the
fate of the June 12,
2018
DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement is in the hands of the U.S. and calls
on the U.S. government to reflect on the past year, stop testing
the patience of the DPRK, and recommit to engaging with the DPRK
in a sincere and serious effort to realize the lofty aims of the
Joint Statement.
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 22 - June 15, 2019
Article Link:
DPRK Calls on U.S. to Mark First Anniversary of Historic Joint Statement by Implementing It with a New Spirit
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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