SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of 鈥� North Korea on Sunday warned that the United States will face 鈥渁 very grave situation鈥� and alleged that President Joe Biden 鈥渕ade a big blunder鈥� in his recent speech by calling the North a security threat.
Last week, Biden, in his first address to Congress, called North Korea and Iran鈥檚 nuclear programs 鈥渟erious threats鈥� to American and world security and said he鈥檒l work with allies to address those problems through diplomacy and stern deterrence.
鈥淗is statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century,鈥� Kwon Jong Gun, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, said in a statement. DPRK stands for the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea, the North鈥檚 official name.
鈥淚t is certain that the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder in the light of the present-day viewpoint,鈥� Kwon said. 鈥淣ow that the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation.鈥�
Kwon still didn鈥檛 specify what steps North Korea would take, and his statement could be seen as an effort to apply pressure on the Biden administration as it鈥檚 shaping up its North Korea policy.
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Sunday that U.S. policy is 鈥渘ot aimed at hostility, it鈥檚 aimed at solutions鈥� and at "ultimately achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.鈥�
鈥淎nd we鈥檙e prepared to engage in diplomacy towards that ultimate objective, but work on practical measures that can help us make progress along the way towards that goal,鈥� Sullivan said on ABC's 鈥淭his Week.鈥�
The White House said Friday administration officials had completed a review of U.S. policy toward North Korea, saying Biden plans to veer from the approaches of his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Korea鈥檚 nuclear program. Press secretary Jen Psaki did not detail findings of the review, but suggested the administration would seek a middle ground between Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥済rand bargain鈥� and Barack Obama鈥檚 鈥渟trategic patience鈥� approaches.
Kwon鈥檚 statement didn鈥檛 mention Psaki鈥檚 comments.
After a series of high-profile nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched summit diplomacy with Trump on the future of his growing nuclear arsenal. But that diplomacy remains stalled for about two years over differences in how much sanctions relief North Korea could win in return for limited denuclearization steps.
In January, Kim threatened to enlarge his nuclear arsenal and build more high-tech weapons targeting the U.S. mainland, saying the fate of bilateral ties would depend on whether it abandons its hostile policy. In March, he conducted short-range ballistic missile tests for the first time in a year, though he still maintains a moratorium on bigger weapons launches.
鈥淚f Pyongyang agrees to working-level talks, the starting point of negotiations would be a freeze of North Korean testing and development of nuclear capabilities and delivery systems,鈥� Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. 鈥淚f, on the other hand, Kim shuns diplomacy and opts for provocative tests, Washington will likely expand sanctions enforcement and military exercises with allies.鈥�
Also Sunday, an unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman vowed a strong, separate response to a recent State Department statement that it would push to promote 鈥渁ccountability for the Kim regime鈥� over its 鈥渆gregious human rights situation.鈥� He called the statement a preparation for 鈥渁ll-out showdown with us.鈥�
Kim鈥檚 powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, also slammed South Korea over anti-Pyongyang leaflets floated across the border by a group of North Korean defectors in the South. The group鈥檚 leader, Park Sang-hak, said Friday he sent 500,000 leaflets by balloon last week, in a defiance of a new, contentious South Korean law that criminalizes such action.
鈥淲e regard the
She accused the South Korean government of 鈥渨inking at鈥� the leaflets. Seoul鈥檚 Unification Ministry responded later Sunday saying it opposes any act that creates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and it will strive to achieve better ties with North Korea.
Easley said the North Korean statements by Kwon and Kim Yo Jong show that 鈥淧yongyang is trying to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States鈥� ahead of the May 21 summit between Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Hyung-Jin Kim, The Associated Press
