N. Korean envoy calls for peace mechanism in Korea
NEW YORK, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's top envoy to the United Nations called Friday for a lasting peace mechanism to replace the Korean War Armistice, a repeat of Pyongyang's longstanding position typically coupled with a demand for the withdrawal of American troops on the peninsula. In his rare press conference, Amb. Sin Son-ho also made clear that his nation will not abandon its nuclear weapons unless the U.S. stops what Pyongyang claims to be Washington's hostile policy toward it.
N. Korea issues war threats plus dialogue offer
NEW YORK/BEIJING, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's top envoy to the United Nations said Friday that high-level talks with South Korea can be resumed only when Seoul drops its preconditions for the rank of Pyongyang's top delegate. "We have intent on responding to any dialogue whether on a bilateral or multilateral level," Amb. Sin Son-ho told Yonhap News Agency after a rare news conference in New York about his country's position dealing mainly about relations with the United States. He said the ball is on the South Korean side, saying inter-Korean dialogue is not possible unless the South retracts its preconditions. (…) Sin said the South should drop its demand regarding the North's top delegate.
In the press conference at the U.N. headquarters, meanwhile, Sin reiterated Pyongyang's war threats coupled with a typical dialogue offer. He said another military conflict is possible at any time as long as U.S. hostilities continue. Pyongyang often takes issue with what it calls U.S. hostile policy, apparently referring to economic sanctions and American troops stationed in South Korea. He stressed the need to replace the Korean War Armistice with a lasting peace mechanism. The two Koreas remain technically at war because their 1950-53 war ended in a ceasefire, not a formal peace treaty. Around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the war. Next week they mark the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.
North Korea is ready for any nuclear talks, but it will not abandon nuclear weapons as long as the U.S. nuclear threats go on, the envoy said, adding Pyongyang is seeking mutual disarmament talks, not unilateral denuclearization of the communist nation. (…)
In the press conference at the U.N. headquarters, meanwhile, Sin reiterated Pyongyang's war threats coupled with a typical dialogue offer. He said another military conflict is possible at any time as long as U.S. hostilities continue. Pyongyang often takes issue with what it calls U.S. hostile policy, apparently referring to economic sanctions and American troops stationed in South Korea. He stressed the need to replace the Korean War Armistice with a lasting peace mechanism. The two Koreas remain technically at war because their 1950-53 war ended in a ceasefire, not a formal peace treaty. Around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the war. Next week they mark the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.
North Korea is ready for any nuclear talks, but it will not abandon nuclear weapons as long as the U.S. nuclear threats go on, the envoy said, adding Pyongyang is seeking mutual disarmament talks, not unilateral denuclearization of the communist nation. (…)
At UN, North Korean Ambassador Calls for Dismantling of UN Command
June 22, 2013. By Matthew R. Lee, for NKNews
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to the UN Sin Son-ho on Friday called for the dismantling of the decades old “UN Command” in South Korea. He quoted former UN Secretaries General Boutros Boutros Ghali and Kofi Annan that it is not really a “UN” force. Sin Son-ho said that North Korea will never give up its nuclear deterrent until the US dismantles the UN Command. He said if the US didn’t do this itself, North Korea would put the request to the UN General Assembly. General Assembly resolutions, it should be noted, do not carry the force of law. In the UN Security Council, the US could veto any such proposal. So in essence Sin Son-ho’s call to dismantle was directed at the US administration of Barack Obama.
This reporter asked Sin Son-ho if he thought the UN under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who previously served as South Korea’s foreign minister, could deem the use of “United Nations” in UN Command an unauthorized use of the organization’s name. Sin Son-ho’s answer referred again to the General Assembly. Minutes later, this reporter put the same question to Ban Ki-moon’s deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey. He would not call the use of “UN” unauthorized, but did say the UN has nothing to do with the “UN Command” military force.
Back in 1994, Sin Son-ho said, then Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali wrote to the DPRK’s foreign minister that “the UN Security Council did not establish the ‘Unified Command’ as a subsidiary organ under its control and that it became to be placed under the authority of the United States.” Then in 1998, Sin Son-ho continued, Kofi Annan said that “none of my predecessors have granted any authorization to any State to make use of the name of the UN.” So why is it called the “UN Command”?
Sin Son-ho was asked about the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. His responses was to urge countries not to follow what he called United States “blackmail” sanctions. The UN Security Council’s sanctions committee, however, continues its methodical meetings at the UN, most recently adding a new expert on shipping.
The last UN press conference by North Korea and Sin Son-ho was in 2010 after the 2010 following the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Chonan. At that time Sin Son-ho said that if the Security Council too strongly condemned DPRK, he would lose his job. But in 2013, he’s still at the UN. Sin Son-ho’s Friday press conference, announced only the day previous, was standing room only, with mostly Japanese television crews jostling to film it. He was asked about computer hacking by the group Anonymous but either mis-heard or dodged the question; he called a question on human rights improper.
Before the press conference began, a North Korean diplomat came around to take each journalist’s name. A Japanese reporter asked, “Is this normal?” “It is just for the record,” the North Korean diplomat replied. So is this….
This reporter asked Sin Son-ho if he thought the UN under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who previously served as South Korea’s foreign minister, could deem the use of “United Nations” in UN Command an unauthorized use of the organization’s name. Sin Son-ho’s answer referred again to the General Assembly. Minutes later, this reporter put the same question to Ban Ki-moon’s deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey. He would not call the use of “UN” unauthorized, but did say the UN has nothing to do with the “UN Command” military force.
Back in 1994, Sin Son-ho said, then Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali wrote to the DPRK’s foreign minister that “the UN Security Council did not establish the ‘Unified Command’ as a subsidiary organ under its control and that it became to be placed under the authority of the United States.” Then in 1998, Sin Son-ho continued, Kofi Annan said that “none of my predecessors have granted any authorization to any State to make use of the name of the UN.” So why is it called the “UN Command”?
Sin Son-ho was asked about the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. His responses was to urge countries not to follow what he called United States “blackmail” sanctions. The UN Security Council’s sanctions committee, however, continues its methodical meetings at the UN, most recently adding a new expert on shipping.
The last UN press conference by North Korea and Sin Son-ho was in 2010 after the 2010 following the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Chonan. At that time Sin Son-ho said that if the Security Council too strongly condemned DPRK, he would lose his job. But in 2013, he’s still at the UN. Sin Son-ho’s Friday press conference, announced only the day previous, was standing room only, with mostly Japanese television crews jostling to film it. He was asked about computer hacking by the group Anonymous but either mis-heard or dodged the question; he called a question on human rights improper.
Before the press conference began, a North Korean diplomat came around to take each journalist’s name. A Japanese reporter asked, “Is this normal?” “It is just for the record,” the North Korean diplomat replied. So is this….