On January 11, North Korea released a statement in the name of Kim Kye-gwan, advisor to the North Korean foreign ministry. This was an official message North Korea released to the outside world for the first time since the report from the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea on January 1. In the statement, North Korea gave a clearer explanation of its strategy toward the South and the United States. According to the statement, North Korea did not shut the doors to dialogue, but it reaffirmed its intention not to make any concessions in negotiations with the U.S. unless Washington is more willing to make progress. The North also rejected President Moon Jae-in’s inter-Korean projects presented in his New Year’s message on January 7.

In the statement, North Korea argued, “It (resuming talks with the U.S.) will only be possible on condition that the U.S. fully accepts the demands we have presented.”

The North mentioned the three demands, which Kim Myong-gil, a “roving ambassador” of the North Korean foreign ministry presented in a working-level meeting with the U.S. in Stockholm last October―easing of sanctions, suspension of ROK-US combined military exercises, and no entry of advanced weapons into the Korean Peninsula―and reaffirmed its existing position, placing a taller obstacle before talks with the U.S.

⊆ NK Stressed Existing Position in Response to Prolonged Negotiations with the U.S. and Cheong Wa Dae Faces Challenges in Plans to Tow NK-US Dialogue

North Korea appears to have heightened its demands for resuming talks, because of a lack of trust in the attitude displayed by the U.S. In the statement, the North Korean advisor said, “We were tricked for more than a year and a half and lost time at the negotiation table with the U.S.” It was an accusation arguing that the U.S. had promised to work “to establish a new relationship between North Korea and the United States” at the summit in Singapore in June 2018, then unilaterally forced North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons. The North made it clear that “There will be no negotiation like the one in Vietnam, where the proposal for an exchange of the entire nuclear facility (Yongbyon nuclear facility) with UN sanctions was made,” and stressed the need for a new negotiation framework, different from the previous one.

The statement mentioned that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump still had “good feelings” but at the same time drew the line saying, “but they are literally personal feelings.” In particular, the statement said, “He (Chairman Kim) will not discuss state affairs based on such personal feelings,” and made it clear that the North would not be affected by President Trump’s “lip service.”

North Korea repeatedly emphasized “preparations for prolonged negotiations with the U.S.” mentioned in the report from the party’s plenary meeting. In this day’s statement, North Korea said, “We are well aware that the U.S. is not and cannot be prepared to do so,” showing that it did not expect the U.S. to accept their conditions for resuming talks at present. Not only is President Trump facing a presidential election, he is not in a position to make any progressive agreement with North Korea due to the impeachment and the situation in the Middle East. And Pyongyang is well aware of that. North Korea is likely to prepare for the long haul, while observing the situation until the end of the U.S. presidential election. The fact that there was no threat warning of military provocations supports such views.

This day’s statement was the first message toward the South since Chairman Kim did not make a New Year’s address this year. It was North Korea’s first official response following President Moon’s New Year’s message and a clear rejection of inter-Korean cooperation suggested by the president, such as a visit to South Korea by Chairman Kim, cooperation in border regions, sports exchanges, and joint efforts to inscribe the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the day of President Moon’s New Year’s message, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris told KBS in an interview that the steps mentioned “should be done in consultation with us (the U.S.)” suggesting a negative view. This was followed by North Korea’s refusal through mocking expressions, such as “hasty” and “a fool who would be better off if he remained still,” placing an obstacle before Cheong Wa Dae’s plans to “haul North Korea-U.S. dialogue with improved inter-Korean relations.”