“Funding missiles using North Korean coins, etc.
Encourage Japan to participate in the Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultation Group”
Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary for arms control and international security at the U.S. Department of State (pictured), said on the 1st that North Korea had launched a military reconnaissance satellite the day before, saying, “We strongly condemn and take this seriously.” However, he said, “It is a realistic difficulty that China and Russia are not in favor of sanctions against North Korea,” and added, “We have no choice but to wait and see if additional sanctions against North Korea are possible.”
Vice Minister Jenkins, who is visiting Korea with a US delegation to attend a high-level meeting on the 20th anniversary of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) held by South Korea, met with reporters at the American Center in Namyeong-dong, Seoul that day and said, “We still have to watch. Yet to see”, he expressed his cautious position. Regarding the attitude of China and Russia against the UN Security Council sanctions resolution against North Korea’s successive ballistic missile launches, he stressed that “there is a problem” and that “we (the United States) are aware that we must do something for this.” .
Deputy Minister Jenkins pointed out that “North Korea is raising funds necessary for missile development in various ways, such as using virtual currencies, in ways that are illegal and violate the UN Security Council sanctions resolution.” “Although sanctions cannot be perfect and cannot prevent everything, that fact does not dilute their importance,” he added. He also said, “It is necessary to express the importance of sanctions against North Korea.”
Regarding Japan’s participation in the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in accordance with the Washington Declaration, Vice Minister Jenkins said, “Our basic position is to encourage countries with similar positions to engage in dialogue” ” he said. Regarding the port call of the US strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN) to the Korean Peninsula, which was decided at the Korea-US summit in April, he said, “I cannot tell you about the specific strategic asset deployment plan.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.