North Korea accused the United States administration on Thursday of having suggested the Asian country’s ”elimination”.
Blaming the US for a breakdown in multilateral talks on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament, Vice-President Yang Hyong Sop reiterated his government’s anger at being branded part of an axis of evil and an outpost of tyranny by the US.
”Worse still, they went as far as to say the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] should be eliminated from the surface of the Earth,” he told reporters in Pretoria after talks with Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
The impasse in the six-nation disarmament talks, also involving China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, was the product of the US’s ”hostile policy” towards his country, Yang claimed through an interpreter.
North Korea attended three rounds of the multinational talks and displayed ”extreme patience”, he said.
But the US’s attitude towards North Korea caused it to decide that continued participation would be ”unnecessary”.
North Korea has twice urged the US to ”drop its hostile policy” and to apologise for how it branded the country. The rest is now up to the US, Yang said.
”In order for the DPRK to attend the next round of negotiations, the US is requested to create appropriate conditions so that the dialogue partner is ready to participate.
”Figuratively speaking, the ball is in the US’s court.”
Zuma backed Yang’s call for the creation of an atmosphere conducive to negotiations.
”A conducive atmosphere will only prevail if we do not paint one side in one form or the other, and if we respect and recognise the sovereignty of countries involved in the negotiations.”
North Korea claimed last month to have nuclear weapons, and threatened to boycott the talks.
Zuma not concerned about North Korean ties
Zuma said he is not concerned that South Africa’s growing ties with North Korea will be misinterpreted.
”We have a view that nuclear technology should be utilised to benefit the people of the world, not for destructive purposes.
”We believe our strengthening relations with North Korea, if anything, will help that a view of the developing countries will be developed in a collective manner.”
The Democratic Alliance earlier questioned South Africa’s decision to host a North Korean delegation led by Yang, saying it points to a pattern of friendships with so-called pariah states.
Yang dismissed allegations of human rights violations in his country — once again passing the ball to the US.
”The US is acting as if it were the judge of human rights issues in the international arena,” he said.
”If the US wants to speak about issues of human rights, they should take into consideration their own human rights situation first. Especially wars started by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan are examples of serious violations of human rights.”
The North Korean government ”treasures and values” human rights, Yang said.
According to Zuma, the issue did not come up during Thursday’s talks.
On reports of widespread starvation, Yang said his country has suffered consecutive natural disasters over the past 10 years, leaving Koreans in an ”economic predicament”.
This year, the government has placed agriculture on top of the country’s economic agenda.
”So, I assure you that we will drastically improve the food situation in our country.”
The two men expressed optimism about the outcome of their talks, saying they have reached a consensus on numerous issues.
Zuma has undertaken to pay a reciprocal visit to North Korea as soon as possible, Yang said.
He stressed the ”extreme” necessity of the two countries concluding bilateral agreements to lay the legal basis for furthering their ties.
An agreement on regular diplomatic consultation, due to have been signed on Thursday, was not concluded because of what Zuma described as technical and bureaucratic hitches.
He underlined the support the African National Congress had received from North Korea during the anti-apartheid struggle.
”We are very happy that two countries that have that kind of a history are today saying, ‘Let us strengthen our relations.”’ — Sapa