Text Fwd: US to slap new sanctions on NK

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Korea Times: Joint Statement of ROK-US Foreign and Defense Ministers’ Meeting
Korea Times: full text of 2+2 joint statement (July 21, 2010)
Korea Times: US warns North Korea against provocations (July 21, 2010)
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, right, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates look into North Korea through binoculars at Observation Point Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone, Wednesday. / Korea Times

Korea Times
07-21-2010
US to slap new sanctions on NK


Clinton, Gates visit Demilitarized Zone

By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff reporter

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday announced a set of country-specific sanctions on North Korea to prevent its illicit activities that would ultimately help the proliferation of the nuclear program.

“We will implement new country-specific sanctions aimed at North Korea’s sale and procurement of arms and related material and the procurement of luxury goods and other illicit activities,” she said at a press conference held after the “2+2” meeting in Seoul.

The tough measures came at a time when North Korea was striving to turn the tide by expressing its willingness to return to the six-party talks.

During the press conference, Clinton and Yu Myung-hwan, minister of foreign affairs and trade, made it clear that time is not ripe for dialogue.

Also joining the news conference after the high-level meeting were Kim Tae-young, minister of national defense, and Robert Gates, U.S. secretary of defense.

Clinton said the intensified effort includes, among others, additional state and treasury designations for entities and individuals supporting proliferation subjecting them to an asset freeze.

The top South Korean and U.S. officials in foreign affairs and defense agreed to maintain a “robust combined defense posture” to deter threats from North Korea.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the two sides urged North Korea to take responsibility for the sinking of the warship Cheonan that killed 46 sailors in March, warning of serious consequences that the North will face if it commits another provocation.

The key officials met at the meeting to discuss ways to upgrade the alliance, marking the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.

They pledged to work together more closely and comprehensively at regional and global levels, indicating South Korea’s increasing role in tackling global challenges.

In the statement, they agreed to complete a new vision for the ROK-U.S. alliance, dubbed Strategic Alliance 2015, by this year’s Security Consultative Meeting.

The two sides also exchanged views about global challenges such as terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the financial crisis and transitional crimes.

Ahead of the talks, Clinton, Gates and their South Korean counterparts visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border with North Korea.

Prior to releasing the joint statement, the two countries held a two-hour meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Several high-profile officials from the U.S. State and Defense Departments participated in the closed-door meeting.

Joining the session were Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and White House chief advisor on Asia Jeff Bader.

The “2+2” meeting was the first of its kind to be held in Korea. Previously, the United States held such meetings with Australia and Japan.

On Tuesday, three officials from South Korea, the United States and Japan met to discuss ways to deal with North Korea after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) released a presidential statement denouncing the attack on the warship. The three are South Korean nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Japanese nuclear negotiator Akitaka Saiki.

Regarding the outcome of the tripartite meeting, a government official said on condition of anonymity that the three sides shared the view that opening dialogue at the moment would be of no help as there has been no change in the North’s positions on the nuclear issue and the Cheonan incident.

* The below comes from the original site

한미 양국 회담에서 동맹 재확인

21일 서울에서 열린 한미 외교, 국방장관이 참석한 이른바 '2+2' 회의에서 양국 당국자들은 천안함 사건 관련 방어 태세를 굳건히 할 것을 재확인했다.

미국측의 힐러리 클린턴 국무장관과 로버트 게이츠 국방장관, 그리고 한국측의 유명환 외교장관과 김태영 국방장관은 회의 후 공동성명을 통해 "한미 상호방위조약에 의거한 양국의 상호 책임과 확고한 공약을 재확인했다"고 밝혔다..

공동성명에서 양국은 천안한 침몰사건 관련 북한에 경고를 보냄과 동시에 한반도 비핵화와 대 (對) 테러 등 안보 관련 양국의 협조를 강조하는 내용을 담았다.

이들은 회의가 열리기 전 비무장지대(DMZ)를 함께 방문했다.
hkang@koreatimes.co.kr

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