North
Korea Says No
Iran-Like
Deal, Cites US
Hostile Stance
to DPRK
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
28 -- In the
wake of the
Iran nuclear
deal announced
in Vienna,
there has been
renewed focus
on the
Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea. The DPRK's
Mission to the
UN called a
press conference
on July 28, at
which its
Ambassador
Jang Il Hun
said plainly
that DPRK is
not interested
in such nuclear
talks, citing
the hostile
stance of the
United States.
Here is Inner
City Press'
transcription
of some of
what
Ambassador
Jang Il Hun said:
“The
Iranian
nuclear deal
is the product
of a lasting
effort by the
Iranian
government.
Our case is
totally
different. We
are holding a
nuclear
weapon. As
such, as a
nuclear weapon
state, we are
not interested
at all in
discussing the
dismantlement
of our nuclear
weapons…
"The nuclear
deterrent is
our means for
defending the
country’s
sovereignty
and the right
to existence
in the face of
the continued
nuclear threat
and hostile
policies
against the
DPRK. There
are some
conspiracies
by the US
administration,
already
demonstrated.
That is why
our nuclear
deterrent is
not our
bargaining
chip...
"We will not
give up our
nuclear
weapons. The
position of
our nuclear
force will
never change,
as long as the
hostile policy
of the United
States remains
intact.
"The United
States has the
responsibility
for the
failure of the
talks and the
heightened
tensions in
the Korean
peninsula. We
have made
every effort
to encourage
solving
problems
between us and
the United
States with
dialogue… Our
country is a
nuclear weapon
state, and as
such we have
our own
interest as a
nuclear weapon
state but the
USA insists on
holding talks
for de-
nuclearization.
It is
degrading the
very aim of my
country…
"The issue of
de-nuclearization
never can be
discussed
until after
the United
States
abandons its
hostile policy
towards the
DPRK.”
Inner City
Press asked
Jang Il Hun
about those
who point to
the agreement
then-President
Bill Clinton
reached with
the DPRK, and
for an update
on the Mudubong
ship.
Back
on April 8, the
North Korean
mission to the
UN held a press
conference
at its office
on Second
Avenue at
which its
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
An Myong Hun
denounced the
continued
detention of
the Mudubong
ship in
Mexico.
An Myong Hun
said that in
January Mexico
was going to
release the
ship, which
ran into a
Mexican coral
reef (damage
to which North
Korea paid
for) - then
reversed its
position,
saying that a
UN Under
Secretary
General had
told them to
hold the ship.
Inner City
Press asked An
Myong Hun if
that UN Under
Secretary
General was
Angela Kane of
Disarmament,
soon to be
replaced by
Kim Won-soo
(see Inner
City Press'
scoop, here).
An Myong Hun
said that the
USG was
unnamed - but
said the
United States
was behind the
continued
"illegal"
detention of
the ship.
But, An Myong
Hun said, DPRK
has not spoken
about this
with the
United States.
He was on his
way to deliver
a speech to
the UN
Disarmament
meeting Inner
City Press is
also covering.
Here's
how An Myong
Hung began his
press
conference:
"One peaceful
commercial
ship of my
country has
been detained
for more than
eight months
and we think
that this is
complete
abnormal
situation.
Mudubong,
which was on a
peaceful
voyage for
foreign trade
activities,
entered into
one port at
Mexico but
unfortunately
it went
aground on a
coral reef
near that
port. It was
totally an
accident.
Mexico
requested
payment for
damage to the
coral reef
according to
its domestic
law. We the
DPRK fully
paid all this
compensation
for
environmental
damage to the
reef. And
since we
fulfilled our
legal
obligation by
payment,
Mexico
authorities
decided to
release the
Mudubong and
allow Mudobong
to leave the
port, January
this year.
"But suddenly,
the Mexico
government
revoked its
position. They
said they have
received
advice from an
unnamed Under
Secretary
General of the
United Nations
for the
continued
detention of
the ship."
The North
Korean mission
held another
press
conference
back on
February 16,
President's
Day, when the
UN was closed.
The purpose
then was
to go public
with the
opposition of
the DPRK Korea
to the
“Conference on
North Korean
Human Rights”
to be held by
the Center for
Strategic and
International
Studies in
Washington on
February 17.
Inner City
Press asked
North Korean
Ambassador
Jang Il Hun
if, as the
Korea Times
has reported,
the event
would be held
in the US
Capitol. No,
he said, he
expected it
would be held
on CSIS's
campus. The
State
Department
told him that
since it is
not a US
government
event -
despite the
participation
of Ambassador
Robert King
and Kurt
Campbell - the
DPRK's request
for
cancellation
or
participation
was not
granted.
Despite the
presence of UN
High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights Prince
Zeid, and a
blue UN flag,
Inner City
Press was told
that was not a
“UN event,” so
no right to
reply.
Inner City
Press also
asked Jang Il
Hun if UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon has
replied to his
government's
recent letter.
No, was the
answer. Video
here and
embedded
below. And so
it goes at the
UN.
This press
conference was
held a small
room at the
DPRK mission
on Second
Avenue; Inner
City press tweeted
photos here,
and here.
Jang Il Hun
said he hoped
this would be
the first of
many such
events, part
of DPRK's
campaign. In
the foyer were
photographs of
gifts given to
DPRK,
including a
signed Wilson
basketball.
“Now you must
leave,” the
Press was
told. Back at
the UN, the
temperature
was 57
degrees. Watch
this site.
Here's
the DPRK
Mission's
statement:
No.4
/02/15
Press
Statement of
the Permanent
Mission of the
Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea to the
United Nations
The Permanent
Mission of the
Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea to the
Unite Nations
releases the
following
press
statement with
regard to the
“Conference on
North Korean
Human Rights”
to be hosted
by the United
States in
Washington
D.C.
The United
States and
south Korea
are going to
convene
so-called
"Conference on
North Korean
Human Rights:
the Road
Ahead" on 17
February in
Washington by
bringing
together
Michael Donald
Kirby, former
chairman of
COI and
Marzuki
Darusman, the
Special
Rapporteur on
the situation
of human
rights in the
DPRK.
The Permanent
Mission of the
Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea to the
United Nations
condemns the
convening of
such human
rights
gathering as a
political
human rights
plot against
the DPRK and
makes clear
its position
as follows;
The
"Conference on
North Korean
Human Rights:
the Road Ahead
" constitutes
a product of
the hostile
policy of the
United States
against the
DPRK, and it
is nothing but
a rubbish
event for the
United States
to get rid of
the
predicament
driven at home
and abroad,
due to the
recent
confession by
the defector
of the
fabrication of
his testimony
and to the
disclosure of
CIA's torture
crimes.
We made due
request to the
U.S. on our
participation
in the
gathering,
since we are
the party
directly
concerned. But
the U.S.
ignored our
request for
participation
because they
are afraid of
disclosure of
their plot for
fabrication.
The US is
advised to
clean up its
own human
rights
ravages. If
the U.S. is
sincerely
interested in
human rights,
they should,
above all,
call into
question the
CIA's torture
crimes and the
gross human
rights
violations
committed by
"national
security law"
in south
Korea, far
from clinging
to the
attempted
fabrication of
falsehood and
plot through
such as the
kind of above
"conference".
The United
States does
not have
qualification
at all to talk
about human
rights
situation of
other
countries,
since it is
the worst
human rights
violator in
the world.
We, the people
of the DPRK
are proud of
our political
and social
system chosen
by ourselves
and we will
strongly
respond to any
attempts to
overthrow our
system under
the pretext of
human rights.
, 
