What Happened: North Korea is considering suspending nuclear negotiations with the United States and mulling whether to continue its freeze on missile and nuclear testing, according to North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, Yonhap reported March 15.
Why It Matters: After the abrupt end of a summit last month between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, Pyongyang is attempting to pressure Washington into adopting a more conciliatory and phased approach in its relations with North Korea.
Background: Talks between Trump and Kim ended after both parties disagreed over the extent of sanctions relief for North Korea and measures to scale down the country's nuclear program. The U.S. government has since taken a hard-line stance on North Korean denuclearization, declaring that it would only grant concessions to Pyongyang after the latter phases out its nuclear program.
Read More:
- U.S., North Korea: What to Make of Pyongyang's Satellite Site Activity (March 11, 2019)
- Why an Abrupt Finale to the Trump-Kim Summit Won't Kill Negotiations (Feb. 28, 2019)
- What to Expect as Trump and Kim Meet Again (Feb. 26, 2019)
