Tillerson: Pressures on North Korea Will Not Decrease

Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, and Chrystia Freeland, his Canadian counterpart, announced on Tuesday, December 19, the formation of a new international group to intensify pressures on North Korea. Mr. Tillerson stated that pressures on Pyongyang will not decrease. According to Reuters, Mr. Tillerson and Ms. Freeland announced at a press conference in Ottawa that a meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries forming this international group will be held in January. Chrystia Freeland stated that the member countries of this coalition will meet for the first time on January 16 in Vancouver to demonstrate their "solidarity against the illegal and dangerous actions of North Korea." According to ABC News, Rex Tillerson also mentioned that this international group will negotiate on improving and enhancing the effectiveness of the pressure tactics against North Korea and also paving the way for dialogue with Pyongyang. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that the pressure campaign against North Korea is aimed at leading to negotiations. However, he emphasized that North Korea is currently not ready to negotiate to resolve its missile and nuclear crisis. Rex Tillerson clarified that as long as North Korea is not ready for negotiations, the U.S. cannot enter into talks with the country, and as previously stated, they are waiting for North Korea to show that it is ready for negotiations. The U.S. Secretary of State said that efforts to pressure North Korea will not decrease and will never be reduced; instead, over time, these pressures will intensify and remain in place. As long as North Korea agrees to abandon its nuclear weapons, these pressures will continue. Last week, Rex Tillerson stated that Washington is ready to engage in negotiations with North Korea whenever it wants. However, these statements prompted reactions from some White House officials, with Reuters quoting these officials, without naming them, saying that there will be no negotiations until Pyongyang corrects its behavior. North Korea continues to develop its nuclear and missile programs, disregarding United Nations Security Council resolutions. On November 28, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile and claims that this missile "can reach the entire territory of the United States" and "is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead." North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong-un, have repeatedly threatened the U.S. and its allies with preemptive nuclear strikes. U.S. officials also state that they still believe that political and diplomatic solutions may be feasible, but they emphasize that if a war begins, the North Korean regime will be destroyed. In this context, the U.S. has identified North Korea as responsible for the widespread "WannaCry" ransomware attack. Russia responded to accusations of "non-cooperation" regarding North Korea from the U.S. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that North Korea must demonstrate that it deserves to negotiate. The White House reiterated that there will be no negotiations until North Korea corrects its behavior. Tillerson announced the U.S. readiness for unconditional negotiations with North Korea.