Sung Kim, US Special Representative for North Korea, "North Korea May Conduct Nuclear Test on Taeyangjeol"

Special Representative for North Korea Affairs Sung Kim [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea at the State Department, urged North Korea on the 6th (local time) to exercise restraint, warning that the country might carry out additional provocations such as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch or nuclear test around the upcoming "Taeyangjeol (Kim Il-sung's birthday)" on the 15th.

In a phone briefing that day, when asked about concerns that North Korea might provoke on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Taeyangjeol, Kim replied, "It could be another missile launch or a nuclear test."

North Korea has generally used major anniversaries as a basis for timing its shows of force. Especially since it has sent domestic and international messages through military demonstrations on major anniversaries that fall on 5- or 10-year milestones, this April is receiving particular attention. On the 11th, it will be the 10th anniversary of Kim Jong-un being appointed as the Party's First Secretary, on the 15th the 110th anniversary of Taeyangjeol, and on the 25th the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (anti-Japanese guerrilla forces).

South Korea and the U.S. also plan to conduct joint exercises in mid-April. There is a possibility that North Korea might use these joint exercises as a pretext for provocations.

Kim emphasized, "The important thing is that we are prepared to address whatever North Korea does through cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners," adding, "We want to clearly emphasize that we hope they will refrain from additional provocations." He further stated, "We have not closed the door to diplomacy and promise to pursue serious and sustained dialogue," and added, "We are ready to meet North Korea without preconditions."

The U.S. has consistently emphasized its stance of resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy despite North Korea's repeated shows of force. In this context, Kim also said, "We are willing to address serious concerns North Korea may have about the situation on the Korean Peninsula."

He stressed, "North Korea is isolating itself in an unprecedented way," and "Only resuming diplomacy can break this isolation, and only then can important work be done based on the Singapore Joint Statement achieved previously."

The Singapore Joint Statement, the outcome of the first North Korea-U.S. summit in June 2018, centers on normalizing North Korea-U.S. relations and denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. The Biden administration has stated its intention to engage in dialogue with North Korea based on existing agreements such as the Singapore Joint Statement.

Kim said, "We have sent multiple public and private messages to North Korea proposing dialogue without conditions, but have received no response, which is disappointing," and added, "We hope for a positive reply." He also made clear the intention to continue responses at the UN Security Council level, stating, "Provocative actions that escalate tensions require a firm response from the UN Security Council."

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