N. Korea testing U.S. ahead of administration change: Seoul

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea seems to be testing the United States' policy direction toward Pyongyang ahead of the administration change in Washington, South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday in reaction to Pyongyang's recent release of a foreign ministry memorandum.

In the memorandum released a day earlier, the North argued that in the five years since the death of its late leader Kim Jong-il, the country has engaged in an all-out confrontation with the U.S. in order to cope with Washington's ever-growing hostile intent and nuclear threats.

"The anachronistic hostile policy and nuclear threat that the U.S. has enforced with unprecedented recklessness against the DPRK (North Korea) have only provoked its just and righteous countermeasures for self-defense" including nuclear tests, the memorandum said, blaming the U.S. for inciting Pyongyang's military provocations.

"Following the U.S.' recent presidential election, North Korea has attempted to indirectly put pressure on the incoming U.S. administration to alter its policy... this time the country seems to be testing the U.S. side in the form of the foreign ministry memorandum ahead of the launch of the new Trump administration," South Korea's foreign ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said in a press briefing.

But the memorandum is only a repetition of the North's long-held claim under which the country blames U.S. hostile policy for its nuclear weapons development, Cho said, adding that the latest release only demonstrated the desperation the North is feeling about its diplomatic isolation and economic difficulties.

"North Korea should seriously take and put into action the international community's united calls for denuclearization, rather than fanatically sticking to nuclear development on the pretext of hostile policy," the spokesman noted.

South Korea and the U.S. will continue to work together in putting more pressure and sanctions on North Korea until it has no other way than denuclearization, Cho said.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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