North Korean Leader Slams ‘Brigandish’ Sanctions
SEOUL (Dispatches) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attacked "hostile forces" over "brigandish" sanctions, state media reported on Friday, as Washington seeks to maintain pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear program.
Kim and United States President Donald Trump held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, which the U.S. leader touted as a historic breakthrough.
But there has been little movement since and the North has criticized Washington for its "gangster-like" demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.
The U.S. has urged the international community to maintain tough sanctions on Pyongyang, and the U.S. Treasury this week announced measures against Russian and Chinese companies for alleged violations.
On a visit to the construction site of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area, Kim rebuked what he called "hostile forces" for "trying to stifle the Korean people through brigandish sanctions and blockade," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Wonsan-Kalma is a vast development on the North's east coast, which Kim ordered to be ready by Oct 10 next year, an important public holiday which marks the founding of a precursor to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
North Korea recently accused the United States of trying to force other countries to strengthen their sanctions enforcement and to block high-level delegations from attending the September events.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is to visit Pyongyang in September for his third summit with Kim, said the upcoming summit would mark a "bold step" toward a formal declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War.
Moon also talked about potential joint economic projects between the Koreas. He mentioned the resumption of joint tours to North Korea's scenic Diamond Mountain resort, restarting operations at a joint factory park in North Korea's Kaesong and also potential projects surrounding inter-Korean railways and development of North Korea's natural resources.
Kim's diplomacy with Beijing, and with Moscow as well, seems to be progressing more smoothly. Chinese tourism is reportedly already on the rise and there are signs that Chinese businessmen are looking to resume and even broaden their activities in the country as soon as the political climate will allow them to do so.
That's crucial to Kim, who is hoping to undermine support for the U.S.-backed sanctions so that he can focus on improving North Korea's economy.
Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that fresh sanctions, imposed by the United States against a Russian firm and an individual over North Korea, may undermine peace process in the Korean peninsula.
In a statement, the ministry also said that Washington "is not aware” of how the "utmost pressure” on Pyongyang is "fraught with danger”.
On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions on a Russian port service agency and Chinese firms for aiding North Korean ships and selling alcohol and tobacco to Pyongyang in breach of U.S. sanctions.
"The destructive U.S.’ tactics, pursued beyond the framework of the UN Security Council and its 1718 Sanctions Committee (related to North Korea), is only able to undermine the progress, which has been made recently toward the settlement,” Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Kim and United States President Donald Trump held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, which the U.S. leader touted as a historic breakthrough.
But there has been little movement since and the North has criticized Washington for its "gangster-like" demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.
The U.S. has urged the international community to maintain tough sanctions on Pyongyang, and the U.S. Treasury this week announced measures against Russian and Chinese companies for alleged violations.
On a visit to the construction site of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area, Kim rebuked what he called "hostile forces" for "trying to stifle the Korean people through brigandish sanctions and blockade," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Wonsan-Kalma is a vast development on the North's east coast, which Kim ordered to be ready by Oct 10 next year, an important public holiday which marks the founding of a precursor to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
North Korea recently accused the United States of trying to force other countries to strengthen their sanctions enforcement and to block high-level delegations from attending the September events.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is to visit Pyongyang in September for his third summit with Kim, said the upcoming summit would mark a "bold step" toward a formal declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War.
Moon also talked about potential joint economic projects between the Koreas. He mentioned the resumption of joint tours to North Korea's scenic Diamond Mountain resort, restarting operations at a joint factory park in North Korea's Kaesong and also potential projects surrounding inter-Korean railways and development of North Korea's natural resources.
Kim's diplomacy with Beijing, and with Moscow as well, seems to be progressing more smoothly. Chinese tourism is reportedly already on the rise and there are signs that Chinese businessmen are looking to resume and even broaden their activities in the country as soon as the political climate will allow them to do so.
That's crucial to Kim, who is hoping to undermine support for the U.S.-backed sanctions so that he can focus on improving North Korea's economy.
Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that fresh sanctions, imposed by the United States against a Russian firm and an individual over North Korea, may undermine peace process in the Korean peninsula.
In a statement, the ministry also said that Washington "is not aware” of how the "utmost pressure” on Pyongyang is "fraught with danger”.
On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions on a Russian port service agency and Chinese firms for aiding North Korean ships and selling alcohol and tobacco to Pyongyang in breach of U.S. sanctions.
"The destructive U.S.’ tactics, pursued beyond the framework of the UN Security Council and its 1718 Sanctions Committee (related to North Korea), is only able to undermine the progress, which has been made recently toward the settlement,” Russian Foreign Ministry said.