Ready To Continue The Denuclearization Discussion, North Korea Requests Conditions For Exports Of Metals To Liquor

JAKARTA - North Korea is willing to resume denuclearization talks with the United States (US), but with a number of conditions, South Korean lawmakers said Tuesday local time.

The conditions put forward by Pyongyang include lifting international sanctions that prohibit metal exports, imports of refined fuels until their needs are lifted, before restarting denuclearization talks.

North Korea is also demanding an easing of sanctions on imports of its luxury goods in order to be able to carry liquor and suits, lawmakers said after being briefed by South Korea's main intelligence agency, quoted from Reuters, Tuesday, August 3.

The briefing comes a week after the two Koreas restored a hotline that North Korea stopped a year ago. Meanwhile, North Korean state media on Tuesday made no mention of a request for a lifting of sanctions to restart talks.

South Korean legislators said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had expressed a willingness to rebuild trust and improve ties since April, with Leader Kim having asked to reconnect the hotline.

They also said North Korea needed about 1 million tons of rice, as its economy was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and bad weather last year. Last week, South Korea's Central Bank said the Korean economy experienced its biggest contraction in 23 years in 2020, due to UN sanctions, COVID-19 lockdowns, and nature.

President Moon has made improving diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea a top priority, while the United States has long insisted that relations with North Korea cannot be improved until it gives up its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea has previously conducted six nuclear tests since 2006 and a missile test capable of hitting the United States. This led the UN Security Council to issue various sanctions against North Korea, including entities and individuals in the reclusive country, for pursuing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in contravention of UN resolutions.

In 2018, the then President of the United States, Donald Trump, held talks with Kim Jong-un. However, that meeting followed by two subsequent meetings failed to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program or missile development.

To note, this year, President Joe Biden was called a senior United States government official trying to open communication with North Korea behind the scenes since last February but did not get a response from Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, independent UN sanctions monitors found North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of sanctions, and used cyber hacking to raise USD 300 million.