Politics

North Korea readies for ‘dialogue and confrontation’ with US

Seoul, Jun 18 (EFE).- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on his country to prepare “for both dialogue and confrontation” with the United States, during a speech at a plenary meeting of the sole political party, state media reported Friday.

Kim opted for this strategy in response to “the policy tendency of the newly emerged US administration” headed by President Joe Biden, during the third plenary session of the Workers’ Party held on Thursday, according to KCNA news agency.

This was the first time Kim has directly alluded to possible talks with Washington since the coming to power of Biden, whose government is committed to an intermediate path to that of previous US administrations and pursues dialogue through phases to reignite conversations stalled since 2019.

“The General Secretary [Kim] stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to get fully prepared for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development and to reliably guarantee the peaceful environment and the security of our state,” KCNA reported.

Kim’s message comes after Biden announced that he was willing to engage diplomatically with Seoul with a view to Pyongyang, “to take pragmatic steps to reduce tensions” and aimed at the ultimate goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, after meeting in Washington with South Korean President Moon Jae-in late last month.

Pyongyang, more isolated than usual due to its strict measures to prevent Covid-19 from spreading in the country, had not responded, at least publicly, to the requests from Washington since February to resume denuclearization talks.

On the third day of the party’s plenary session, Kim also signed a “special order” aimed at improving living conditions in the country, which was the “main point” of the meeting.

In this sense, a resolution was adopted on “unconditionally fulfilling the grain production plan by concentrating efforts of the entire Party, the whole army and all the people on the farming for this year.”

Kim admitted in a previous plenary session that “the people’s food situation is now getting tense,” which is attributed to the impact of weather phenomena on agricultural production and the shielding of borders and rejection of humanitarian entry from abroad for fear of the spread of Covid-19. EFE

co-ahg/tw

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