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DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Urges U.S. to Make Policy Switchover

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

    Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA today in connection with the fact that the United States is attempting to shift the responsibility for the stalled six-party talks on to the DPRK while persistently misleading the public opinion over the issue of financial sanctions against it: Officials of the U.S. State Department were reported to have recently repeated their absurd assertions that the financial sanctions are a separate issue from the six-party talks and it is a measure to defend the interests and currency of the U.S. We do not care about their efforts to protect their own state interests and currency. What merits our serious attention is that they abuse it for defaming the political system in the DPRK.
    The results of the past several months' investigation clearly proved that there is no evidence proving the DPRK's issue of counterfeit notes or money laundering. Nevertheless, the U.S. is applying unreasonable financial sanctions against it on the basis of sheer fabrications.
    For the U.S. to respect the state sovereignty of the DPRK and opt for peaceful co-existence is the key to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK, which has long survived the U.S. sanctions, attaches so much importance to the lift of the financial sanctions because it is a touchstone showing whether Washington is willing to make a switchover in its policy or not. A peaceful negotiated settlement of the nuclear issue can never be possible without the U.S. switchover in its policy.
    Clear is the U.S. aim. That is to label the DPRK an "illegal state," tarnish its prestige and image, isolate and blockade it internationally and thus force it to abandon its nuclear program first.
    This diametrically runs counter to the September 19, 2005 joint statement adopted at the six-party talks and lays a stumbling block in the way of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
    It is self-evident that no matter how frequently we sit at the negotiating table with such partner it is hard to expect any substantial results.
    It is the consistent policy of the DPRK government to oppose all sorts of illegal acts in the financial field.
    The DPRK has perfect legal and institutional mechanisms to combat such illegal acts as counterfeiting notes and money laundering and any illegal acts are liable to severe punishment.
    The DPRK will as ever actively join the international actions against money laundering.
    Invariable is its basic stand to attain the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, implement the joint statement adopted at the six-party talks and seek a negotiated peaceful settlement of the issue.
    The point at issue is the U.S. attitude.
    The U.S. must be fully aware of what it should do.