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The United Nations must drop sanctions and the United States and South Korea cease all “acts of aggression” if they want to resume negotiations aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear programme, Pyongyang said today.
“Seoul and Washington must halt all acts of aggression and issue apologies,” the National Defence Commission said in a statement, according to the Yonhap news agency.
“The United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution must be rescinded.” The six-party talks involving the Koreas, Japan, the US, Russia and China stalled in 2009.
South Korean President Park Guen Hye offered to hold dialogue with the North last week in a bid to ease tensions that heightened over fears that Pyongyang was preparing for a missile launch.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Pyongyang to “seriously” consider Seoul’s offer and to resume negotiations.
“I continue to urge the DPRK leadership to reverse course and return to the negotiating table,” Ban told reporters, referring to North Korea by the acronym for its official name.
US Secretary of State John Kerry also urged Pyongyang to take “meaningful steps” toward denuclearization to resume the negotiations during his trip to North-East Asia last week.
In March, the UN Security Council voted to expand its sanctions against Pyongyang for its underground nuclear test the previous month. The tougher sanctions imposed penalties on North Korean banking, travel and trade.
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