Maximizing Pressure on N. Korea
The United States Department of State said in its recent report that it will continue to put pressure on North Korea until denuclearization is achieved.
According to Voice of America (VOA) on Dec. 26, the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the State Department and the Bureau for Asia of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) drew up the report and it contains how to put more political and economic pressure on the North so that it stops developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
In the report, the State Department mentioned cooperation with allies for stopping North Korea’s weapons development as one of its top priority tasks. According to the report, the department is going to focus on the goal along with nuclear fission material production interruption and initial measures for denuclearization in the short term, although the long-term goal of Washington is final and fully verified denuclearization (FFVD). The department also emphasized that the goals can be achieved when the international community redoubles its efforts to implement sanctions on North Korea.
In this regard, the State Department said it would continue to maximize its pressure on the North and urged the international community to work together to implement the sanctions. “We will never ease up on North Korea until denuclearization although diplomatic relations with the North will continue,” it said. Earlier, on December 24, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the sanctions can be lifted earlier than scheduled if denuclearization is achieved earlier than scheduled.