North Korea warns the U.S. to look out for coal in its stocking

Katie Anson, Media Editor

On Dec 3, North Korea released a warning that they will be sending the U.S. a gift on Christmas. North Korea says it is entirely up to the U.S. what present it will get.

With the end of the year deadline for nuclear diplomacy between North Korea and the Trump Administration inching closer, some believe this means North Korea will resume its long-distance missile tests, according to CNN, if the U.S. does not favor North Korea in the current negotiations.

In 2018 North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President, Donald Trump, signed a joint statement, creating a denuclearization zone in Korean Peninsula. In February of 2019 they met again after continued disagreements over sanction relief and denuclearization. No agreement was signed at this meeting but it was said that negotiations would continue.

According to an article published by CNN, Washington and Pyongyang diplomats have been discussing a trade that would include North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in return for the U.S. relieving North Korea of sanctions that have negatively impacted North Korea’s economy. 

Since these talks, North Korean state media reported that Kim was giving the U.S. until the end of the year to change its approach to denuclearization talks, according to CNBC. 

Kim warns that the result of this change will determine whether or not the Christmas gift the U.S. receives will be in its favor.