Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, May 7 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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New U.S. policy seeks 'practical' diplomacy with N.K. for complete denuclearization: Psaki

WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States will not seek a "grand bargain" in denuclearization negotiations with North Korea but will continue to engage with the country to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Friday.

The spokeswoman made the remark as she confirmed the completion of the North Korea policy review.

"I can confirm that we've completed our DPRK policy review, which was thorough, rigorous and inclusive," said Psaki. "Our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

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U.S. policy not aimed at hostility, but reducing tension with N. Korea: Sullivan

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. policy toward North Korea is not aimed at hostility but reducing tension, the top U.S. security adviser said Sunday, adding the ultimate goal of the policy is to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan added the United States is prepared to engage with North Korea to discuss "practical" steps toward denuclearization.

"Our policy towards North Korea is not aimed at hostility. It's aimed at solutions. It's aimed at ultimately achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Sullivan said in an interview with ABC News.

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Chung, Blinken agree on close cooperation for peninsula denuclearization, peace

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, May 3 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, agreed Monday to continue close cooperation for complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said.

The agreement came as they met bilaterally on the margins of a gathering of G7 foreign and development ministers in London, after the Joe Biden administration completed its review of policy toward Pyongyang.

"Secretary Blinken shared the results of the U.S.' review of policy on the North, and Minister Chung welcomed the fact that the result of the review was decided in a realistic, practical direction," the ministry said in a press release.

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Blinken urges N. Korea to engage, saying U.S. seeks practical progress

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged North Korea on Monday to return to the negotiating table, saying his country seeks to make practical progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy.

The call came after Washington said it has completed its North Korea policy review.

"I hope that North Korea will take the opportunity to engage diplomatically and to see if there are ways to move forward toward the objective of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the top U.S. diplomat said in a joint press conference with his British counterpart, Dominic Raab.

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N. Korea continues to build up chemical, biological weapons: U.S. official

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea continues to build up its chemical and biological weapons, in addition to its other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) such as nuclear weapons that pose a serious threat to U.S. forces and South Korean allies, a ranking U.S. official said Tuesday.

Jennifer Walsh, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security, also said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may actually use such weapons in case of a conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

"North Korea's continued pursuit of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons jeopardizes international stability and weakens the global nonproliferation regime. These capabilities pose a threat to U.S. forces, allies," said Walsh in a statement submitted to the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations.

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U.S. again reaches out to N. Korea but to no avail: WP column

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The United States has again reached out to North Korea for dialogue, this time to explain the outcome of its recently concluded North Korea policy review, but Pyongyang continues to remain unresponsive, a Washington Post columnist wrote.

In an opinion piece published by the U.S. newspaper on Wednesday, Josh Rogin also said the U.S. has no plan to appoint a special envoy for North Korea, at least for now.

The Joe Biden administration has said it had sought to engage with North Korea since mid-February, but that the reclusive nation did not respond to its overtures.
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