Sherman, US Deputy Secretary of State, Says "Strong Response Measures Needed" to North Korea's Repeated Provocations

Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, emphasized on the 6th (local time) the need to respond with strong measures to North Korea's successive provocations.

Deputy Secretary Sherman appeared at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that day and said that there have been 13 ballistic missile test launches by North Korea this year, with the latest presumed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), adding, "There is no doubt that we share deep concerns about North Korea." He also added, "We expect more test launches in the future."

Earlier, on the 4th, Sherman met for about 1 hour and 50 minutes with the South Korea-U.S. policy consultation delegation of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, who is visiting the U.S. Sherman said that much of the discussions the delegation has with people they meet in the U.S. are related to responding to North Korea. He stated, "These discussions ensure that we will take strong measures to let North Korea know that it cannot continue these actions without consequences, and that we have credible deterrence to respond to North Korea's attacks."

Deputy Secretary Sherman did not specifically explain what "credible deterrence" entails. Regarding sanctions on North Korea, he mentioned the sanctions already imposed by the U.S., measures taken by South Korea in response to North Korea's missile launches, and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. He also referred to United Nations Security Council statements and measures aimed at preventing materials that could be used for missile or nuclear technology development from entering North Korea and holding North Korea accountable. He cited Security Council restrictions that repatriate overseas North Korean workers to prevent them from sending remittances back to their home country as an example.

Sherman emphasized the importance of China's role and said the U.S. will continue to pressure China together with its allies, urging China's cooperation by stating, "A nuclear-armed North Korea is not in China's interest."

Regarding solutions to the North Korea issue, Sherman announced that Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, will soon visit South Korea to consult with South Korean and Japanese officials. He reaffirmed the U.S. position of being open to dialogue without preconditions and urged North Korea to respond. He said that a channel for dialogue is open to end the specter of North Korea's actions, emphasizing, "Strength comes from alliances and partners," highlighting trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

On the nomination of a U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, Sherman said that considering North Korea's terrible human rights situation, the appointment of a special envoy is necessary, but she could not specify a timeline as they are still searching for a suitable candidate. The position of Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights has been vacant since 2017 during the Donald Trump administration.

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