US: "South Korea and US Need Unified Response to North Korea"... Effectively Rejects Kumgangsan Tourism Project

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 14th (local time), the U.S. Department of State emphasized a unified U.S.-South Korea stance on North Korea in response to President Moon Jae-in's New Year's press conference remark that individual tourism does not violate North Korea sanctions.

President Moon Jae-in listens to a reporter's question at the New Year's press conference held at the Blue House's Yeongbingwan on the morning of the 14th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is understood that the U.S. confirmed its position that there can be no inter-Korean relations that deviate from the effective maintenance of North Korea sanctions. The U.S. has not retreated from its existing stance that progress in inter-Korean relations should follow any advancement in U.S.-North Korea relations.

Although President Moon Jae-in mentioned at the New Year's press conference that "individual tourism is not subject to international sanctions and can be sufficiently explored," the U.S. position remains unchanged.

A U.S. Department of State official responded regarding the U.S. government's stance on President Moon's remark that individual tourism does not violate international sanctions, saying, "The United States and South Korea are closely coordinating our efforts related to North Korea, and we are committed to close coordination in a unified response to North Korea." The official particularly emphasized, "All UN member states must implement the UN Security Council (North Korea) sanctions resolutions."

The official did not explicitly state the U.S. government's position on whether individual tourism to Geumgangsan is subject to international sanctions against North Korea.

The South Korean government has reportedly maintained since last year that individual tourism to Geumgangsan is not subject to UN North Korea sanctions because it does not involve the inflow of large amounts of cash (bulk cash) to North Korea.

At the U.S.-South Korea Foreign Ministers' meeting held in San Francisco on the same day, it is expected that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha explained the South Korean government's inter-Korean cooperation plan to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and sought U.S. cooperation, but a similar response from the U.S. side is presumed.