WASHINGTON – Mike Pence and North Korean officials had planned to meetsecretly during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, but Pyongyang scrapped thetalks after the US vice president denounced abuses from the “murderousregime,” US officials said Tuesday.
Pence did not interact with the North Koreans even though he was seated inthe same box as them at the opening ceremony of the Games earlier thismonth — nor did he shake hands with the North s ceremonial head of stateKim Yong Nam during an earlier leaders reception.
The US vice president, who led the American delegation to the Games, saidat the time he traveled with the father of late former prisoner OttoWarmbier to the South to “remind the world of the atrocities happening inNorth Korea.”
“During the vice president s recent visit to South Korea to demonstrateallied resolve and support American athletes, the possibility arose of abrief meeting with the North Korean delegation leaders,” State Departmentspokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
“The vice president was ready to take this opportunity to drive home thenecessity of North Korea abandoning its illicit ballistic missile andnuclear programs.
“At the last minute, DPRK officials decided not to go forward with themeeting. We regret their failure to seize this opportunity,” she added.
Pence s spokesman Nick Ayers characterized the offer as the North having”dangled a meeting in hopes of the vice president softening his message,which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during theOlympics.”
“Instead, the vice president met with defectors who escaped tyranny, hostedFred Warmbier, whose son was essentially murdered by North Korea, pointedout their atrocious record on human rights and enslavement of hundreds ofthousands of their people, spoke about their hostile plans with nuclearweapons and ballistic missiles and announced a new round of tough economicsanctions were on the way.”
Even as the US warned against falling for Pyongyang s Olympic charmoffensive, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued an invitation via hissister Kim Yo Jong, who was attending the Games, for a summit with SouthKorean President Moon Jae-in.
“North Korea would have strongly preferred the vice president not use theworld stage to call attention to those absolute facts or to display ourstrong alliance with those committed to the maximum pressure campaign,”Ayers said.
“But as we ve said from day one about the trip: this administration willstand in the way of Kim s desire to whitewash their murderous regime withnice photo ops at the Olympics.
“Perhaps that s why they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they werenever sincere about sitting down.”
Analysts say the North s Olympic diplomatic drive sought to looseninternational sanctions against it and undermine the alliance between Seouland Washington.
On his return trip from the Games, Pence said there was “no daylight”between the US, South Korean and Japan on efforts to isolate Pyongyangeconomically and diplomatically until it abandons its nuclear and ballisticmissile program.
Washington calls it a campaign of “maximum pressure.”
Global alarm at the rapid advance of nuclear-armed North Korea s weaponstechnology rose further last year when the regime tested its Hwasong-15ballistic missile — theoretically capable of hitting the mainland US — ina challenge to Washington, which has threatened to “utterly destroy” theregime in the event of an attack.
President Donald Trump and the North s leader Kim Jong Un have engaged in aseries of personal insults.
But as tensions rose between the North and Washington, the Games triggereda rapid reconciliation between the two Koreas, who are still technically atwar.
“The president made a decision that if they wanted to talk, we woulddeliver our uncompromising message. If they asked for a meeting, we wouldmeet,” Ayers said, referring to Trump.
“He also made clear that until they agreed to complete denuclearization weweren t going to change any of our positions or negotiate.” – APP / AFP