[USFK Forums] Report: North Korea Fears Effects of U.S. Sanctions [AP]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Monday, February 13, 2006

Report: North Korea Fears Effects Of U.S. Sanctions

POSTED: 2:38 pm CST February 11, 2006 UPDATED: 3:42 pm CST February 11, 2006

TOKYO (AP) -- A Japanese news agency reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il believes that his government could collapse if the United States keeps imposing economic sanctions against his country.

Kyodo News cites an unidentified diplomatic source in New York close to the international talks over North Korea's nuclear program. The news agency reports that Kim made the remarks to Chinese President Hu Jintao during a secretive weeklong trip to China last month.

Kyodo said Kim voiced his concerns when Hu asked him to drop the demand that Washington lift financial sanctions as a precondition for Pyongyang to return to the talks. The report added that Hu is likely to bring up the matter during an upcoming visit to the U.S.

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