KCNA COMMENTARY ACCUSES U.S. OF DISTURBING IMPROVEMENT OF INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS

Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The United States gets pronounced in its moves to spoil the atmosphere for detente on the Korean peninsula helpful to mending the inter-Korean relations. Of late U.S. high-ranking officials flew into south Korea one after another to cry out for ratcheting up sanctions against the DPRK. In the meantime, they are busy talking rubbish that their high-handed policy towards it is not contradictory to the south Korean policy on the inter-Korean dialogue. Wendy Sherman, U.S. undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, the undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security and other officials flew into Seoul one on the heels of the other. They oft-repeated the importance of the U.S.-south Korea cooperation, blustering that denuclearization of north Korea was the top-priority task of the U.S.-south Korea policies towards the DPRK. This is the behavior of the wicked U.S. guys who are displeased with any process to mend the north-south relations which may lead to the creation of a peaceful climate on the Korean peninsula. In the new year, too, the U.S. has pursued a harsh policy towards the DPRK, challenging the Koreans' desire for opening up a broad avenue to independent reunification by their concerted efforts. U.S. President Obama issued a "presidential executive order" for slapping "additional sanctions" against major institutions, bodies and individuals of the DPRK from the outset of the new year as a signal for his hostile policy towards the DPRK.Page 2 of 3 The Obama regime brought to light its plan to push ahead with Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises and called for a "resolute counteraction" against the DPRK's development of nuclear weapons and missiles as well as "cyber attack". When the DPRK's crucial proposals for improving the inter-Korean relations and creating a peaceful climate on the Korean peninsula drew public attention and support at home and abroad, Washington made such ulterior remarks as claiming that they were unrealistic and infeasible and one should not react to them with payment of excessive expenses. At the first hearing of the International Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, the special representative for North Korea policy of the U.S. Department of State and the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury argued that it is necessary to pressurize north Korea by every possible means, vociferating about the "dialogue between the south and the north of Korea on the premise of denuclearization". As a matter of fact, the U.S. is driving a wedge between the Koreans by openly pressing the south Korean authorities not to make haste to improve the inter-Korean relations under the pretext of nuclear issue. This is little short of rubbing salt in the wounds of the Koreans who have suffered pain due to seven decades-long division. Media showed concern about the U.S. arbitrary practices of openly interfering in the inter-Korean relations by reporting that it has been already proven that excessive reconciliation and cooperation between the north and the south of Korea contradict the U.S. interests and if south Korea unilaterally negotiates with north Korea, will the U.S. allow it to do so? Even U.S. mainstream media in an analysis of the Obama Administration's moves to block the tendency to hold north-south dialogue commented that the U.S. and south Korea each had its own axe to grind over the "north Korea policy" under the prevailing situation. It is the scenario of the U.S. troublemakers to stem the trend towards the improvement of the inter-Korean relations and escalate the tension on the Korean Page 3 of 3 peninsula and in the region. The U.S. will never succeed in its sinister scenario to dominate the world, keeping the Korean nation split into two and putting the peninsula under its permanent control.