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world news Dialuna 3 Mei 2021

NKorea warns US of 'very grave situation' over Biden speech

(AP) — North Korea on fied North Korean Foreign
Sunday warned that the Ministry spokesman vowed
United States will face "a a strong, separate response
very grave situation" and to a recent State Department
alleged that President Joe statement that it would push
Biden "made a big blun- to promote "accountability
der" in his recent speech for the Kim regime" over its
by calling the North a se- "egregious human rights sit-
curity threat. uation." He called the state-
ment a preparation for "all-
Last week, Biden, in his first out showdown with us."
address to Congress, called
North Korea and Iran's nucle- Kim's powerful sister, Kim
ar programs "serious threats" Yo Jong, also slammed South
to American and world secu- Korea over anti-Pyongyang
rity and said he'll work with leaflets floated across the
allies to address those prob- border by a group of North
lems through diplomacy and Korean defectors in the
stern deterrence. South. The group's leader,
Park Sang-hak, said Friday he
"His statement clearly reflects sent 500,000 leaflets by bal-
his intent to keep enforcing loon last week, in a defiance
the hostile policy toward the of a new, contentious South
DPRK as it had been done Korean law that criminalizes
by the U.S. for over half a such action.
century," Kwon Jong Gun, Biden's national security ad- detail findings of the review, weapons targeting the U.S.
a senior North Korean For- viser, Jake Sullivan, said Sun- but suggested the adminis- mainland, saying the fate of "We regard the maneuvers
eign Ministry official, said in day that U.S. policy is "not tration would seek a middle bilateral ties would depend committed by the human
a statement. DPRK stands for aimed at hostility, it's aimed ground between Donald on whether it abandons its waste in the South as a seri-
the Democratic People's Re- at solutions" and at "ultimate- Trump's "grand bargain" and hostile policy. In March, he ous provocation against our
public of Korea, the North's ly achieving the complete de- Barack Obama's "strategic pa- conducted short-range bal- state and will look into cor-
official name. nuclearization of the Korean tience" approaches. listic missile tests for the first responding action," Kim Yo
Peninsula." Kwon's statement didn't time in a year, though he still Jong said in a statement.
"It is certain that the U.S. mention Psaki's comments. maintains a moratorium on
chief executive made a big "And we're prepared to en- bigger weapons launches. She accused the South Ko-
blunder in the light of the gage in diplomacy towards After a series of high-profile rean government of "winking
present-day viewpoint," that ultimate objective, but nuclear and missile tests "If Pyongyang agrees to work- at" the leaflets. Seoul's Uni-
Kwon said. "Now that the work on practical measures in 2016-17, North Ko- ing-level talks, the starting fication Ministry responded
keynote of the U.S. new that can help us make prog- rean leader Kim Jong Un point of negotiations would later Sunday saying it opposes
DPRK policy has become ress along the way towards launched summit diplomacy be a freeze of North Korean any act that creates tensions
clear, we will be compelled to that goal," Sullivan said on with Trump on the future testing and development of on the Korean Peninsula and
press for corresponding mea- ABC's "This Week." of his growing nuclear arse- nuclear capabilities and de- it will strive to achieve better
sures, and with time the U.S. nal. But that diplomacy re- livery systems," Leif-Eric Ea- ties with North Korea.
will find itself in a very grave The White House said Friday mains stalled for about two sley, a professor at Ewha Uni-
situation." administration officials had years over differences in how versity in Seoul, said. "If, on Easley said the North Korean
Kwon still didn't specify what completed a review of U.S. much sanctions relief North the other hand, Kim shuns statements by Kwon and Kim
steps North Korea would policy toward North Korea, Korea could win in return diplomacy and opts for pro- Yo Jong show that "Pyong-
take, and his statement could saying Biden plans to veer for limited denuclearization vocative tests, Washington yang is trying to drive a
be seen as an effort to apply from the approaches of his steps. will likely expand sanctions wedge between South Korea
pressure on the Biden ad- two most recent predecessors enforcement and military ex- and the United States" ahead
ministration as it's shaping up as he tries to stop North Ko- In January, Kim threatened ercises with allies." of the May 21 summit be-
its North Korea policy. rea's nuclear program. Press to enlarge his nuclear arse- tween Biden and South Ko-
secretary Jen Psaki did not nal and build more high-tech Also Sunday, an unidenti- rean President Moon Jae-in.

China's carrier group conducts exercises in South China Sea

(AP) — China's Shandong air- which Beijing claims virtually in its aircraft carrier to enter service after purchased as a hulk from Ukraine
craft carrier group has recently entirety. China has constructed sever- the Liaoning, which was originally and entirely refurbished.
conducted routine annual exer- al man-made islands in the disputed
cises in the South China Sea, the waters in what the U.S. says is a move
People's Liberation Army said to militarize the area.
Sunday, after Beijing criticized
the U.S. for sending Navy ships Navy spokesperson Gao Xiucheng
into the strategic area. said in a statement that the exercises
were completely legitimate and part
The Chinese Defense Ministry last of safeguarding national sovereignty,
week urged the U.S. to restrain its security and development interests,
front-line forces in the air and seas as well as maintaining regional peace
near China. U.S. reconnaissance air- and stability.
craft and warships have become more
active around China since President "We hope the outside world will view
Biden took office, it said. it in an objective and rational way.
In the future, the Chinese navy will
The South China Sea is particularly continue to hold similar exercises as
contentious because China's smaller planned," said Gao.
neighbors also have competing claims
to one of the world's busiest sea lanes, The Shandong is the second Chinese