Washington (June 1, 2017) United States President Donald Trump on Friday has declared that America’s patience with the North Koran regime ‘is over’
While addressing a joint press conference with South Korean president at Rose Garden , Trump said, “The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed and, frankly, that patience is over.”
The South Korean President’s visit to the White House came after Trump approved a series of measures designed to ratchet up pressure on North Korea — while also sending signals to China about the US’ shrinking patience.
The Treasury Department on Thursday imposed new sanctions on a Chinese bank and several Chinese nationals while the State Department approved a $1 billion arms deal with Taiwan. Both moves appeared aimed at unsettling China, which the US has repeatedly urged to pressure North Korea into changing its behavior, with little success.
Trump on Friday warned that the US is facing “the threat of the reckless and brutal regime in North Korea” that “has no regard for the safety and security of its people or its neighbors” and vowed the US would continue to act to defend US interests and allies in the region.
Moon, who was elected on a platform of increased engagement with North Korea, also warned that “threats and provocations from the North will be met with a stern response” and vowed South Korea and the US will “strengthen” their joint deterrence capabilities.
But he also urged the North Korean regime “to promptly return to the negotiating table” to achieve a peaceful end to its nuclear program.
“The North Korean dictatorship has no regard for the safety and security of its people or its neighbors and has no respect for human life — and that’s been proven over and over again,” Trump said, before also thanking Moon for expressing his condolences over Warmbier’s death.
Moon first arrived at the White House Thursday night where he and his wife dined with Trump and the US first lady. Trump and Moon’s discussions went beyond ways to confront the North Korean regime, also centering on the trading relationship between the US and South Korea, following Trump’s criticism of the bilateral free trade deal between the two countries, which Trump has called a bad deal for the US.
“We are renegotiating a trade deal right now as we speak with South Korea and hopefully it will an equitable deal, a fair deal to both parties,” Trump said as he greeted Moon in the Oval Office on Friday morning. “It’s been a rough deal for the United States but I think that it will be much different for the United States.”
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