North Korea foreign ministry calls the US humanitarian aid a 'sinister political scheme'

Amid rising tensions between Pyongyang and Wahington, a North Korean researcher said that the US humanitarian aid is a “sinister political scheme” to put pressure on other countries. After the US allies such as South Korea suggested that Coronavirus vaccines or other help could promote cooperation, the North Korean foreign ministry published criticism of the US aid on an official website. It listed a series of examples from across the globe that reportedly highlighted a US practice of linking aid to its foreign policy goals or pressure on human rights issues. 

Kang Hyon Chol, identified as a senior researcher at the ministry-affiliated Association for the Promotion of International Economic and Technological Exchange, wrote on the site that “this vividly reveals that the American ulterior intention of linking ‘humanitarian assistance’ with ‘human rights issue’ is to legitimise their pressure on the sovereign states and achieve their sinister political scheme”. 

“In actual practice, many countries have undergone bitter tastes as a result of pinning much hope on the American aid and humanitarian assistance,” he added while referring to American assistance to the government in Afghanistan, where the US is due to withdraw the last of its troops in coming weeks. 

Tensions between North Korea and the US 

It is worth mentioning that American officials have said that they are supportive of humanitarian aid to North Korea, however, no efforts are underway to provide direct assistance. South Korea has also vowed that it would provide coronavirus vaccines if requested. But North Korea has shown no public signs of interest in aid from South Korea or the US, even though it has accepted at least limited assistance from China and Russia. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said that he will push to further upgrade relations with China. And Pyongyang has also declared that it is “not considering” any contact with the United States. The official KCNA agency carried North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon’s statement saying that the country has rejected the “possibility of any contact” with the US.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme has been an intractable problem for the US, hence fueling tensions between both nations. US President Joe Biden’s administration conducted a review of its policy with North Korea and stated that it would seek “calibrated and practical” ways to convince Pyongyang to denuclearise. But Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader’s influential sister, said that America’s expectations for talks with North Korea would “plunge them into a greater disappointment”. 

(Image: AP)