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Trump Officially Declares N. Korea Still A Threat, Despite His Claim After Historic Summit

President Trump cited an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security as he acted Friday to maintain long-standing economic restrictions on North Korea, including the freezing of any assets in the United States.

Trump and Kim jong un

The official declaration, contained in a notice to Congress, came despite Trump’s assertion this month that his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended the North’s nuclear weapons threat.

Harsh economic restrictions will continue for one year under the order Trump signed Friday. The paperwork keeps in place restrictions first imposed a decade ago by President George W. Bush. The ban on the transfer of any U.S. assets by North Korea’s leaders or its ruling party has been extended or expanded several times by both President Barack Obama and Trump himself, in response to North Korean missile tests and other actions.

The confident, optimistic language marked a complete reversal from Trump’s criticism of Kim as “Little Rocket Man” and his threats last year to deliver “fire and fury” to North Korea if necessary. The insults and nuclear brinkmanship alarmed other world leaders, who feared war and a new nuclear arms race.

Trump’s decision to cancel joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises drew strong criticism from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), who called it a concession.

“It is North Korea — through its nuclear and missile programs, aggressive behavior, and egregious human rights violations — that poses the greatest threat to peace,” McCain said in a statement. “And until North Korea takes concrete steps to change that, no concessions should be made, and the sanctions must continue.”

The national emergency that Trump extended allows the government to forbid North Korean leaders to sell or otherwise use any assets they may hold in the United States. It is separate from U.S. sanctions related to North Korean human rights abuses and a long list of international penalties imposed over Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile testing.

Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have said all U.S. sanctions will remain in force for now. Some could be lifted as negotiations progress.

North Korean state media has described a step-by-step diplomatic process and said Trump agreed to “lift sanctions” as relations improve.

 

Tony Williams
Tony Williams
Tony Williams is a seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience covering a wide range of topics, from local news to international events. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for uncovering the truth, Tony has won numerous awards for his investigative reporting. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of California and has worked for several top-tier newspapers. Tony is known for his tenacity and commitment to delivering high-quality journalism to his readers, and he is widely respected in the industry for his integrity and professionalism.
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