Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
N. Korean leader underlines 'independent growth' after Hanoi summit
By Lee Min-hyung
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
By Lee Min-hyung
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has underlined the need for his country's “independent” economic growth following his failed summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“There is nothing to be done if you only wait for somebody to give you a hand,” Pyongyang's state-controlled Rodong Sinmun quoted Kim as saying, Saturday.
It is a serious political agenda and a matter of life or death for the North to choose between independent growth and dependence on foreign influence, the propaganda newspaper said.
The regime also stressed that it would tackle tough economic sanctions from international society by revitalizing the economy through competition among provinces.
“Putting provinces into competition with others is a very effective and powerful way to achieve overall prosperity across the regime,” it said.
The remark came at a critical time when North Korea is showing signs of returning to the past by threatening to resume its nuclear armament in the wake of the recent breakdown of the second Washington-Pyongyang summit.
The North's young dictator sought to win a partial exemption of sanctions in exchange for its continued steps for nuclear disarmament. But Trump declined to accept the proposal during the summit in Hanoi last month.
With the summit ending in no deal, the U.S. has expressed its willingness to continue narrowing its differences with the North by holding additional talks.
But last week Pyongyang delivered its firm determination “not to make any concessions” to demands from the U.S.
On Friday, Choe Son-hui, vice foreign minister of the North, told reporters and diplomats in Pyongyang that the regime will soon decide whether to continue negotiations with the U.S.
“We want to make it clear that the U.S.' ongoing attitude will put the situation at risk,” she said.
“Trump lost the golden chance during the Hanoi summit with Kim. We have no intention of reaching a compromise with the U.S. by sticking to this type of negotiation.”
Starting last year, Washington and Pyongyang have engaged in talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The peace momentum here reached its peak last June when Trump and Kim held the first summit between the two countries.
But with both sides failing to make progress in timelines and methods for the North's denuclearization, the second summit was arranged at the Vietnam's capital for two days last month.
Despite expectations for the two unpredictable leaders to sign a big deal there, the two sides ended up failing to reach even a small agreement during the much-anticipated meeting.