US nuclear envoy says no indications of 'direct' NK military action

Chun Young-hee, right, director general for the Korean Peninsula peace regime at Seoul's foreign ministry, shakes hands with Jung Pak, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, ahead of their meeting in Seoul on Dec. 13, 2023, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry.

The United States has not detected indications of "direct" North Korean military action, its top nuclear envoy has said, pledging to make "relentless" efforts to deter and constrain evolving threats from the recalcitrant regime.

In an online interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday, U.S. Senior Official for North Korea Jung Pak made the remarks as the North's pugnacious rhetoric and its continued weapons tests have deepened worries about the possibility of major provocations by the North and even of an armed clash on the Korean Peninsula.

Despite an escalation of threats, the envoy expressed her hopes for Pyongyang to further reopen its border to pave the way for diplomacy, while stressing Washington's "sincerity" in its repeated yet unanswered dialogue overtures.

Highlighting her "100 percent" focus on North Korean issues, Pak also waved aside lingering speculation that America's policy toward the North could weaken following the departure of her predecessor and seasoned diplomat, Sung Kim, in December.

"We are not seeing indications of direct military action (by the North)," she said. "But we, of course, continue to monitor the situation and guard against the risks to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan." ROK is South Korea's official name.

Touching on the shifting contours of security on the peninsula, the envoy pointed to military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, and "obstruction" from Beijing and Moscow at the U.N. Security Council of the efforts to address North Korean threats as two key differences from previous times.

"I think that has the potential to make him (North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) think that he's got two supporters. That's not a development that we want to see," she said. "We have been very clear that we continue to press Beijing to use its influence on Pyongyang to constrain North Korea's very inflammatory rhetoric and its really provocative actions."

Reiterating the U.S.' commitment to deterring "any kind of adventurism" from the North, Pak underlined Washington's eagerness to reengage with Pyongyang.

"We will continue to seek and press for dialogue and border reopening -- not just to Russia and China but to other embassies — so that we can create conditions for diplomacy," she said.

Since its lifting of pandemic-induced border closures last year, Pyongyang has allowed the entry of diplomats from some non-Western countries, including China, Mongolia and Cuba, while uncertainty remains over the return of Western diplomats.

The U.S. does not have an embassy in the North, but relies on Sweden and other Western countries with diplomatic missions in Pyongyang, when a need arises for engagement with the reclusive state.

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Jan. 31 shows the launch of the strategic cruise missile "Hwasal-2" in the West Sea of Korea in North Korea, Jan. 30. EPA-Yonhap

Pak's emphasis on diplomacy comes as questions have arisen over the veracity of Washington's dialogue mantra given that serious diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and the North has stalled for years since their no-deal Hanoi summit in 2019.

"Sincerity is in the eye of the beholder. We are sincere," she said. "It's really important for us to be talking to make sure that we understand each other's positions, but it's clear that the DPRK has decided for now that it doesn't want diplomacy, but we are going to keep trying."

She did not specify when the U.S. last offered dialogue to the North, but she said that Washington makes overtures "on a regular basis."

She rejected any suggestions that the U.S. is just waiting until Pyongyang pivots toward denuclearization in what critics say amounts to a policy of "strategic patience" — a term used by some to refer to a policy approach by the former Barack Obama administration.

"I have never ever said in my life strategic patience," the official said. "There's a lot to be done and we've been doing a lot."

The official enumerated a range of achievements, including efforts with South Korea to curb the North's revenue generation from its overseas IT workers and cyber activities, and endeavors to improve the human rights situation in the North.

Pak voiced full confidence about her duties, underscoring that "the portfolio is in excellent hands."

"There's really no change except that Ambassador Sung Kim has retired. The work continues and the level of attention continues," she said. "I spend 100 percent of my time on DPRK issues and our team has remained the same and they continue to get better and better."

After Kim left office, Pak was given the title of the "senior official" rather than Kim's title as "special representative," spawning speculation that it might signal the Biden administration's dwindling attention to the North Korean quandary in the midst of Russia's war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

"I am not much for titles, but the senior official is more of a technical thing rather than an indicator of our commitment to high-level attention on this issue," she said.

Responding to a question about whether it is time for the U.S. to push aside the elusive goal of denuclearization for now and focus on risk reduction, the envoy said Washington is pursuing both.

"We are always trying to reduce risk. That is our job, but taking our eyes off denuclearization is not our goal," she said. "A world, where proliferation of nuclear weapons is seen as okay or accepting DPRK as a nuclear weapons state, is not on the table."

Commenting on Pyongyang's continued launches of cruise missiles, Pak voiced concerns that those launches are undermining not only regional stability but also prosperity as they could imperil both navigation and overflight of civilian traffic on the high seas.

"This is one of the busiest thoroughfares for civil aviation and maritime vessels in the region," she said. "We will continue to call on DPRK to refrain from these potentially destabilizing activities and return to diplomacy."

Commenting on media reports on North Korean leader Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, being a possible successor to him, the official said it is premature to make a prediction on a potential leadership transition in the North.

"It is early yet, but it's clear that Kim wants to make sure that his daughter's front and center not just to make sure that she is present at these various events," she said. "I am not going to speculate on whether she is it because I think what we've seen over the past decade ... (is) that he has the potential to always surprise." (Yonhap)