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North Korea Faces Tighter Sanctions under Trump

North Korea Faces Tighter Sanctions under Trump
folder_openKoreas access_time6 years ago
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Local Editor

Donald Trump's administration said it will tighten sanctions against North Korea as it aims to quell rising fears that Pyongyang will launch a nuclear attack.

North Korea Faces Tighter Sanctions under Trump

The strategy was announced after a special briefing for all 100 US senators.

Earlier, the top US commander in the Pacific defended the deployment of an advanced missile system in South Korea.

Tensions have risen amid fears the North is planning new weapons tests.

"The United States seeks stability and the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," said a joint statement issued by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, War Secretary Jim Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

"We remain open to negotiations towards that goal. However, we remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies."

"The president's approach aims to pressure North Korea into dismantling its nuclear, ballistic missile, and proliferation programs by tightening economic sanctions and pursuing diplomatic measures with our allies and regional partners," the statement added.

To that end, North Korea's United Nations mission said in a statement that it will "surely win a victory in the death-defying struggle against the US imperialists".

Democratic Senator Ben Cardin said there is no "pretty military solution" to North Korea. He said Trump sending aircraft carriers to the region "just heightens the temperature".

A US missile system - called the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense [THAAD] system - is being installed in South Korea and will be operational "in the coming days".

The system is designed to shoot down approaching ballistic missiles, which are a ‘threat' since Seoul, South Korea and its 10 million inhabitants are within striking distance of North Korea.

North Korea is not the only country in the region to be angered by the THAAD, with the work to set up the system having angered China and Russia who see the system's powerful radars as a security threat.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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