Greeting hope-filled New Year, the Korean people look back upon last year plagued with shock, cheers, joy, emotion, disappointment and irritation, and are aflame with the desire for more epochal progress in inter-Korean relations and reunification upon receiving the historic New Year Address of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

Contrary to the high expectations and aspirations of the Korean nation, politicians of Washington claim that inter-Korean relations should not move forward faster than the DPRK-U.S. relations and inter-Korean relations should be promoted in parallel with the DPRK-U.S. denuclearization negotiations. The voices calling for speed adjustment cause deep concerns among all the fellow countrymen.

Last year witnessed wonderful changes that had been unimaginable between the north and south of Korea as well as great movements in the Korean peninsula that changed the political topography of the relations between north and south and between the DPRK and the United States. But, in the final analysis, the inter-Korean relations were locked up in stagnation as they have neither contents in formation nor practice in high-sounding words.

No doubt, the blame for it rests with the U.S., which voiced active support for the Panmunjom declaration and the moves for the improved inter-Korean relations whenever an opportunity presented itself, but dropped the check bar in the way of improving inter-Korean relations and put on the brakes in every way.

Throughout the last year the U.S. called for speed control, claiming that the inter-Korean relations have gone far away.

Out of the desire to make progress in the inter-Korean relations this year, we have something to say as regards the U.S. attitude. What does the U.S. seek behind the theory of speed control in the inter-Korean relations?

The theory fully shows that the United States does not want to see the improvement and development of the inter-Korean relations.

The assertion that the inter-Korean relations should not move forward faster than the DPRK-U.S. relations proves that the U.S. does nothing and keeps others from doing things.

If the U.S. forces a marathon player who runs faster than his American rival to adjust his speed in an international game, it will invite a bitter denunciation.

As seen above mentioned, the U.S. still keeps a burglary logic.

Clear is the reason why the U.S. takes an unreasonable attitude.

The reason is that the U.S. still remains unchanged in the policy hostile towards the DPRK.

The reality shows that the U.S. responded to the DPRK-U.S. dialogue out of its strategic interests, but it has a sinister intention to deprive the DPRK of its nuclear weapons and bring it to its knees without a good will to build a new, good relationship with the DPRK.

Lurking behind such a way of thinking are concern that the more closely the north and the south work for the improvement of the bilateral ties and reunification, the more the U.S. will be left out of the issue of the Korean peninsula, and a calculation that it can shake the basis of the U.S. strategy for the domination of Asia.

It is not too much to say that the theory of adjusting the speed to prevent the north-south ties from going ahead of the DPRK-U.S. relations is a new hostile policy toward the DPRK adopted by the U.S., today when the north-south ties are undergoing drastic development.

It is the Korean nation which will suffer from it.

It is high time that the Korean nation advanced further for the improvement of the north-south ties, not hesitating or looking back while reading the faces of others. It is an experience and lesson drawn last year that when the north and the south dash forward hand in hand, the DPRK-U.S. relations can not but follow.

What is important to note here is that time has come for the U.S. to change its stand and view on the north-south ties.

We will never tolerate the intervention and interference of the U.S. that tries to check the Korean nation’s reconciliation, unity and reunification while trying to subordinate the north-south relations to its own tastes and interests.

The U.S. has to drop its old way of thinking of approaching the north-south relations from the standpoint of sanctions and pressure on the DPRK.

The U.S. must have keenly felt last year that the north-south ties do not hurt its strategic interests and instead they are helpful and can be essential for it.

Which is more pressing and urgent for the United States, denuclearization or military hegemony over Asia?

The U.S. has to make wise judgment and cool-headed thinking.

It has to clearly understand the desire of the Korean nation for national reconciliation and reunification and what poisonous effect its stupid way of thinking to dampen the desire will bring.

The U.S. is urged to do what it should do for the improvement of the DPRK-U.S. relations, not making useless admonition while meddling in the issue of the north-south relations, an internal issue of the Korean nation.

The north-south relations belong to the north and the south while the DPRK-U.S. relations belong to the DPRK and the U.S. The north-south ties can never be put under the DPRK-U.S. relations.

This is our warning in New Year.

Sok Jong Yon