Hanoi No-Deal 1st Anniversary… Ministry of Unification Expects Progress on North Korean Nuclear Issue with Resumption of North Korea-US Talks

"US-ROK Joint Exercises Postponed Due to COVID-19"
Reserved Comments on Impact on Inter-Korean Relations

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are holding a one-on-one summit on the morning of February 28 last year (local time) at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.

On February 27, marking the first anniversary of the 2nd North Korea?U.S. Summit held in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27-28 last year, the Ministry of Unification stated, "We hope that North Korea and the U.S. will resume dialogue and make progress on the North Korean nuclear issue."

On that day, a Ministry of Unification official responded this way when asked by reporters about the government's stance on the prolonged lull in North Korea?U.S. talks.

When asked to evaluate the impact of the postponement of the South Korea?U.S. joint military exercises on inter-Korean relations, the official was reserved.

He said, "South Korea and the U.S. officially announced the postponement of the exercises due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)," adding, "At this stage, there is nothing special to disclose regarding the impact of this postponement on inter-Korean relations." This appears to emphasize that the postponement was made not for political purposes but as a measure to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Regarding foreign media reports that Russia sent diagnostic kits to North Korea related to COVID-19, the Ministry of Unification official also said they are monitoring the situation.

The official explained, "The Ministry of Unification reviewed the situation after seeing the Russian Foreign Ministry's press release," and added, "We will keep an eye on the related progress."

Meanwhile, North Korea refrained from external messages on the first anniversary of the Hanoi no-deal and focused on internal unity while continuing to criticize South Korea.

On that day, the Workers' Party of Korea's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, in a front-page editorial titled "Let the Party Organizations Vigorously Demonstrate Their Combat Power in the All-Out Offensive," stated, "The challenges from hostile forces opposing the vigorous advance of our revolution are persistent, and the trials and difficulties we face are not trivial," urging, "Let us crush all challenges with the power of self-reliance and create a breakthrough for the advance."

There was no mention of the Hanoi North Korea?U.S. Summit or messages targeting the United States. Instead, external propaganda media were mobilized to criticize South Korea.

On that day, the external propaganda media "Meari" published an article titled "Those Who Recklessly Rush Without Knowing the World Will Only Face Greater Humiliation," claiming, "At one time, the South Korean authorities foolishly tried to meddle in North Korea?U.S. relations, calling themselves 'mediators' or 'drivers of the Korean Peninsula,' but ended up suffering a heavy loss without gaining anything, as everyone knows... Yet they still have not come to their senses and are foolishly trying to poke their heads in, talking about 'resuming North Korea?U.S. talks'."

The media added, "Seeing the South Korean authorities play around like this, it is no exaggeration to call them politically immature or clumsy," and warned, "No matter how much the South Korean authorities try to insert themselves between North Korea and the U.S., they should remember that what awaits them is only greater humiliation."

North Korean media also criticized President Moon Jae-in, who is pursuing normalization of South Korea?Japan relations.

Another South Korea-directed propaganda media, "Uri Minjokkkiri," in a personal byline article on the same day, called President Moon's positive stance on improving relations with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, expressed during a meeting with newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Domita Koji earlier this month, a "disgusting spectacle." The media referred to President Moon as the "South Korean ruler" and claimed he "begged" for a meeting with Prime Minister Abe.