The United States and China are discussing imposing further sanctions on North Korea, which is “not even close” to taking steps to rein in its nuclear weapons programme, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday.
Speaking in the South Korean capital, Mr. Kerry said Washington had offered the North the chance of an improved relationship in return for signs of genuine willingness to end its nuclear programme.
“To date, to this moment, particularly with recent provocations, it is clear the DPRK is not even close to meeting that standard,” Mr. Kerry told a joint news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.
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He said Russia, Japan and South Korea, which along with the United States and China are part of talks stalled since North Korea walked away in 2009, were also concerned about a renewed threat from the North.
Mr. Kerry said a pending nuclear deal with Iran could serve as an example to Pyongyang.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei declined to comment on Mr. Kerry’s remarks. China has a history of resisting tough moves against North Korea not mandated by resolutions of the U.N. Security Council, where it is a permanent member with veto power.
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Mr. Hong, at a daily news briefing, merely reiterated China’s calls for denuclearisation of the whole Korean peninsula.
Mr. Kerry said it was likely that the North would be referred to the International Criminal Court over human rights violations, and singled out its leader Kim Jong-un.