Translated and arranged by Manbo
February 02, 2007

New York -- The Choson Sinbo carries a chronological article today to show what the official stand of the DPRK has been as regards the financial sanctions that the US has imposed against the former. The chronoloy serves as a supplementary to the article that explains how the problem of "financial sanctions" has developed, what the structure of DPRK-US showdown has been, and how neo-consevative forces of the US have endeavoured to ruin the September 19 Joint Statement. While reading those documents, not a few leaders of the world would like to say, "That"s exactly what I have wanted to tell the US for a long time."

2005

10/18/2005 DPRK FM Spokesman Answers on US Anti-DPRK Diatribe

By applying sanctions against the DPRK in a "roundabout way" the Bush administration seeks to put pressure upon it in advance so as to pressurize Pyongyang to accept the former"s assertion that the latter should abandon its "nuclear program first" at the six-party talks slated to take place in the future. This compels the DPRK to suspect whether the Bush administration has the willingness to implement the joint statement of the six-party talks or not. The DPRK has already declared that it would regard the U.S. sanctions against it as a declaration of war.

10/24/2005 DPRK FM Spokesman Refers to Issue of Participation in 5th Six-Party Talks

The United States, however, has been careless in its words and deeds quiet contrary to the spirit of the statement in a little over one month since the publication of the statement. These moves of the U.S. are rendering the joint statement, a co-product of the six parties, invalid. We will hold the U.S. accountable for this situation much more deplorable than what was before the publication of the statement and keep tabs on this at the forthcoming talks.

11/11/2005 Kim Kye Gwan Interviewed in Beijing

(In the first phase of the fifth round of the six-party talks) The DPRK delegation strongly demanded the U.S. side lift its financial sanctions. The sanctions are in contravention of the joint statement and prevent the DPRK from honoring its commitment laid down in the statement. The parties agreed to have bilateral contacts during the recess. The DPRK and the U.S. sides agreed to open talks and discuss and settle the issue of financial sanctions in the future.

12/02/2005 DPRK FM Spokesman Urges US to Lift Financial Sanctions

Lifting the financial sanctions against the DPRK is essential for creating an atmosphere for implementing the joint statement and prerequisite to the progress of the six-party talks. [The] DPRK and the U.S. agreed to have talks between the heads of the delegations to the six-party talks in order to take up and settle the issue of financial sanctions. The U.S. side, however, again reneged on its promise and perpetrated such perfidy as shunning the talks.

12/06/2005 RS Comments on US Perfidy Reneging on Its Promise

It is impossible to resume the six-party talks under such provocative sanctions applied by the U.S. upon the DPRK. This is the stand of the DPRK. If the U.S. truly wants the resumption and progress of the six-party talks it should take practical measures to lift the financial sanctions against the DPRK at an early date as it committed itself to do so before the other five parties at the talks. Only then a prospect will be opened for the resumption of the six-party talks. (* Parts quoted ifferently from the Choson Sinbo text)

12/10/2005 DPRK FM Spokesman Blasts Virulent Outcries of US Ambassador to S Korea

Policies in the U.S. are made by such rude and dangerous guys of illiteracy that the DPRK had no option but to build up nuclear deterrent to defend itself. The U.S. is now overturning the basic principles of the joint statement reached at the six-party talks one by one. It scuttled the DPRK-U.S. financial talks, in particular, holding off the six-party talks for an indefinite period. The prospect of the six-party talks" resumption and progress will entirely depend on the U.S. attitude. (* Parts quoted differently from the Choson Sinbo text.)

12/15/2005 KCNA Blasts US Fiction of "Counterfeit Notes"

[The] Los Angeles Times on Dec. 12 reported that the DPRK government is involved in the issue of "counterfeit notes" allegedly on the basis of a testimony made by a "deserter from north Korea". [The] U.S. is peddling even what unidentified deserters allegedly uttered. This goes to prove that the U.S. oft-repeated fiction of "counterfeit notes" is a sheer lie. On Dec. 13... the south Korean KBS quoted ... it was confirmed that a "north Korean" whom the Los Angeles Times had cited never served at a mint organ when residing in north Korea. The U.S.-spread misinformation has become again the laughing stock of the public.

2006

01/09/2006 DPRK FM Spokesman Answers on US Financial Sanctions against DPRK

[The] U.S. is applying financial sanctions against the DPRK in an effort to destroy the system in the DPRK by stopping its blood from running. This act is, therefore, in gross violation of the principle of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence laid down in the joint statement. Had the U.S. imposed the above-said sanctions upon the DPRK on the basis of scientific data or facts, there would have been no reason for it to refuse to sit at the negotiating table with the DPRK with a view to probing the truth in a fair and square way.

02/09/2006 DPRK FM Spokesman Urges US to Make Policy Switchover

The DPRK ... attaches so much importance to the lift of the financial sanctions because it is a touchstone showing whether Washington is willing to make a switchover in its policy or not. The DPRK has perfect legal and institutional mechanisms to combat such illegal acts as counterfeiting notes and money laundering and any illegal acts are liable to severe punishment. The DPRK will as ever actively join the international actions against money laundering.

02/28/2006 DPRK FM Spokesman Urges US to Lift Financial Sanctions

By nature the DPRK wanted to join the international financial system to have normal banking transactions, but it was prevented from doing so by the U.S. obstructions. If the U.S. is truly interested in the protection of its currency, it should stop such reckless act as linking the issue of "fake dollars" with the DPRK in a far-fetched manner, lift financial embargo on the DPRK at an early date and opt for mutual cooperation in normal banking transaction.

08/26/2006 DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Demands US Lift of Financial Sanctions

The U.S. has made contradictory remarks. While asserting that the present financial sanctions are irrelevant to the six-party talks as they are a measure for the enforcement of the act, the U.S. claimed that it would discuss the issue of lifting the financial sanctions, if Pyongyang comes out for the six-party talks. The DPRK likes to have the six-party talks more than ever as it will gain from the implementation of the agreement more than others. [Hoewever,] The U.S. financial sanctions against the DPRK are a stumbling-block lying in the way of the DPRK returning to the six-party talks.

11/01/2006 DPRK FM Spokesman on Resumption of Six-Party Talks

Bilateral and multi-lateral contacts took place in Beijing on Oct. 31 with main emphasis on the contact between the DPRK and the U.S. Discussed there were issues of seeking ways for the resumption of the six-party talks. The DPRK decided to return to the six-party talks on the premise that the issue of lifting financial sanctions will be discussed and settled between the DPRK and the U.S. within the framework of the six-party talks.

12/22/2006 DPRK Delegation Head Kim Kye Gean Interviewed in Beijing

We clarified our will to realize denuclearization at the talks and participated in them despite sanctions. We, therefore, urged the U.S. to lift sanctions against the DPRK, to begin with, and start the discussion on the issue of denuclearization. The U.S., however, demanded a stop to our nuclear activities and verification of them without taking any action for lifting the sanctions. We decisively opposed this and told the U.S. side to further study our proposal.

2007

01/17/2007 KCNA Holds US Chiefly Responsible for Counterfeiting

Such problems as "forged notes" and "illicit dealings" rest with the U.S. and the story about the "counterfeit notes" much touted by it is nothing but a fabrication aimed to execute its hostile policy toward the DPRK. The U.S. has so far failed to produce any scientific evidence that may prove the DPRK"s counterfeiting. The reality goes to clearly prove that the anti-DPRK smear campaign over the "counterfeit notes" is orchestrated and staged by the U.S.

01/19/2007 DPRK FM Spokesman on Results of DPRK-US Talks

The talks between the DPRK and the U.S. were held in Berlin in accordance with the agreement reached between the two sides. The talks took place from Jan. 16 to 18 in a positive and sincere atmosphere and a certain agreement was reached there. We paid attention to the direct dialogue held by the DPRK and the U.S. in a bid to settle knotty problems in resolving the nuclear issue.

Source:
Official Stand of DPRK Concerning with Issue of Financial Sanctions (October 2005 - January 2007) Choson Sinbo 02/02/2007 (text in Korean)

Related:
How the problem of "financial sanctions" has devloped and what the structure of "DPRK-US confrontation has been Choson Sinbo 02/02/2007 (text in Korean)

Related:
"US-DPRK ties improving ahead of N-talks" The News, Pakistan 02/03/2007 US envoy says next six-party talks can make progress Yonhap News, Seoul 02/02/2007 03:32 KST
To Ban the Bomb, Sign the Peace NYT 01/30/2007
Talks to Resume on North Korea and Weapons NYT 01/31/2007
Bush Pushes for North Korea Deal US News and World Report 02/02/2007
The State of US-China Diplomacy US DOS 02/02/2007