The United States needs to increase military and sanctions pressure on North Korea in response to its destruction of an inter-Korean liaison office earlier this week, a U.S. lawmaker said Wednesday.
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation, said countries are "cheating" on the international sanctions regime against North Korea and mentioned China as a key player in the overall program.
"As far as the United States, I think the best thing that we can do is, we need to talk about upping the ante, maybe start military, or efforts and campaigns again with South Korea and start those up," Yoho said during a virtual seminar hosted by the Association of Former Members of Congress, apparently referring to joint military exercises that have been scaled back to facilitate nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
"In addition, I think we need to really get tough on these sanctions with the countries that are cheating," he said. "We know that roughly 90 percent of the trade that goes on with North Korea comes from China. China agreed to put U.N. sanctions on them. And so we need to look at the agreement, what can we do in the U.N., what can we do to get China to be held accountable."
Trump extends existing sanctions on North Korea for one year 2020-06-18 09:35 | North Korea The congressman was referring to allegations that China has helped North Korea evade punishing economic sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China backed the latest resolutions imposing sanctions on Pyongyang.
Yoho said the North's demolition of the liaison office was a "slap in the face" to President Moon Jae-in, whose North Korea policy has centered on efforts to rebuild trust with the regime.
"I think it's going to drive a deeper wedge, and then President Moon will have to decide how much further he wants to bend over to help heal these relationships," the lawmaker said.
"And if he does that, it's going to weaken him in his own country. We're already starting to see that," he added.
Yoho also said the U.S. should work to "heal the rift" between South Korea and Japan because their trilateral relationship is among the strongest in the world.
"If that gets weakened, it's going to play into the hands of Kim Jong-un, and also China," he said, referring to the North Korean leader. (Yonhap)
Trump extends existing sanctions on North Korea for one year 2020-06-18 09:35 | North Korea 
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