The White House said that the simultaneous announcement of sanctions once morest North Korea by the United States, South Korea, and Japan shows further strengthened trilateral relations. He also stressed that he would use all available means to prevent the development of North Korea’s illicit weapons program. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports.
White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrian Watson reiterated the willingness of the three countries to jointly respond to North Korea’s series of ballistic missile launches.
In a statement released on the 2nd, spokesperson Watson said, “The United States, South Korea, and Japan have announced sanctions targeting various officials and entities in North Korea that have supported North Korea’s illicit weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.” The actions taken demonstrate the strengthened trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan and South Korea.”
[왓슨 대변인] “The United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan, issued designations targeting various officials and entities associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) for their support to the DPRK’s unlawful development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missiles. This synchronized action demonstrates the increased strength of the trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan, and the ROK. It follows President Biden’s trilateral meeting last month with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the ROK, where the leaders condemned the DPRK’s unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches this year and resolved to strengthen deterrence and to forge closer trilateral ties in the security realm and beyond.”
At the same time, this measure was “following President Biden’s three-way meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol last month,” and said that the three leaders at the time condemned North Korea’s unprecedented ballistic missile launch this year, strengthened deterrence, and strengthened security. He reminded us of the fact that we had resolved to build a closer trilateral relationship in the field and other areas.
“Faced with comprehensive U.S. and UN sanctions that have isolated North Korea from the international financial system, North Korea is resorting to increasingly desperate methods to finance its weapons programs, including cryptocurrency theft and cyber theft,” Watson said. .
[왓슨 대변인] “In the face of comprehensive U.S. and United Nations sanctions that have isolated the DPRK from the international financial system, the DPRK has turned to increasingly desperate ways to generate revenue, like virtual currency heists and other cyberthefts, to fund its weapons programs. Sanctions have been successful in slowing down the development of its unlawful weapons programs. As the DPRK adjusts its tactics in the face of international pressure, we will continue to use all available tools to further limit the growth of these destabilizing weapons programs.”
“Sanctions have been successful in slowing the development of (North Korea’s) illicit weapons programs,” he said. So, we will use all available tools.”
“As we have made clear, the door to diplomacy is not closed, but North Korea must stop its destabilizing behavior and engage in diplomacy,” Watson said.
[왓슨 대변인] “As we have made clear, the door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must cease its destabilizing actions and engage diplomatically. The DPRK’s decision to ignore our outreach is not in its best interest, nor in the interest of the people of the DPRK who continue to suffer as a result of decisions made by the regime. We will continue to coordinate closely with our allies and partners to address the threats posed by the DPRK and to advance our shared objective of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
“North Korea’s decision to ignore our offer to contact is not in the best interest of North Korea, nor is it in the interest of the North Korean people who continue to suffer from the regime’s decisions,” he said. We will continue to coordinate closely with our allies and partners to advance our common goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
Previously, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department sanctioned three North Korean Labor Party officials on the 1st, and the South Korean government designated 8 individuals and 7 institutions involved in North Korea’s nuclear and missile development as subject to independent sanctions on the 2nd of the Korean Peninsula time.
Also on the same day, Japan also put three North Korean groups and one individual on the sanctions list, and the three countries, the United States and Japan, simultaneously put pressure on North Korea.
This is VOA News Hamjiha.
