北, 최선희 기자회견 조선중앙통신•조선중앙TV•노동신문에 공개 안 해... 이유는?
After making a bold statement through foreign press last week that it may halt negotiations with the U.S., North Korea is again keeping its silence, not releasing any reports about this specific presser at all.
Oh Jung-hee tells us why.
"Washington's forceful stance will risk the whole situation. Our supreme leader will soon speak his mind loud and clear."
Breaking a two-week-long silence after the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi last month,... North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui held a press briefing last Friday.
She warned: Pyeongyang won't compromise unless Washington changes its stance.
Three days have passed since then.
Pyeongyang is once again silent, releasing no reports through its major state-run media about its own press conference.
The main outlets are the Korean Central Television and Rodong Sinmun which target domestic viewers... and the Korean Central News Agency that aims at sending messages overseas.
"North Korea thinks that there's a chance that the negotiations could develop in their favor, so maybe that's why the regime is not rushing to let its people know that the negotiations are undergoing difficulties. And if it's to release any report through the Korean Central News Agency, it would look like the government's official stance, which in turn, could seem too rigid and inflexible."
And this implies that... North Korea -- though it had threatened to break negotiations with the U.S. -- is still leaving room for resuming talks.
What's also noteworthy is how North Korea is not blaming U.S. President Trump for the summit fallout.
Instead, Pompeo and Bolton are being held responsible.
Choe mentioned on Friday... that Kim and Trump had (quote)"a mysteriously amazing chemistry."
Pundits say... this is a move to tell Trump that he is the one who can solve the nuclear issue, not others.
They add... history has taught us that North Korea throwing strong messages to the U.S. is one of its "usual" preparatory steps to continue dialogue.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
