US "Discussing Additional Measures on North Korea with Allies... Diplomacy Also Important"

Ned Price, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The U.S. Department of State reiterated that it is closely coordinating with the United Nations and its allies regarding additional measures against North Korea following its successive missile launches, and is also committed to diplomatic efforts.

At a briefing on the 3rd (local time), State Department spokesperson Ned Price responded to a question about whether there are other tools available after the North Korea sanctions proposal was blocked by China and Russia at the UN Security Council.

Spokesperson Price stated, "Special Representative for North Korea Affairs Sung Kim recently held talks with his counterparts in South Korea and Japan on this issue, and UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is also deeply engaged at the UN regarding North Korea's international peace and security threats." He added, "Another important tool is diplomatic efforts. We have made it clear that we have no hostile intent toward North Korea and have kept diplomacy open, but there has been no positive response yet."

North Korea has shown no significant activity for five days since its demonstration of force with an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on the 30th of last month. The UN Security Council has scheduled a closed meeting on the 4th regarding North Korea's IRBM test launch, drawing attention to whether North Korea will conduct additional military demonstrations.

Price said, "North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs threaten not only U.S. forces and allies deployed in the region but also beyond. These provocations, which threaten international peace and security, make the situation very unstable. Countries around the world share our concerns."

He continued, "Our approach differs from previous administrations in many ways. One of these is focusing on close cooperation with allies and partners. As part of efforts to promote the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, we continue to engage with allies and partners."

Regarding criticism that the joint statement condemning North Korea issued last month by eight UN ambassadors led by the U.S. was limited in the number of countries involved, he said, "Whether individual countries sign various multilateral statements concerning North Korea's challenges is up to each country." When asked if the U.S. and related countries will hold additional discussions on North Korea within next week, he replied that it is "possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.