South Korea Says North Likely Seeking Talks
时间：2019-01-03 作者：英语课 分类：2017年VOA慢速英语(十二)月
South Korea said on Tuesday that North Korea would look to negotiate with the United States in the coming year.
The prediction came as North Korea called the latest U.S.-led sanctions an “act of war.”
Last week, the U.N. Security Council unanimously placed new, tougher sanctions on North Korea for its intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, test on November 29. North Korea said the test showed its missile could reach all of the U.S. mainland.
“North Korea will seek negotiation 1 with the United States, while continuing to pursue its effort to be recognized as a de facto nuclear-possessing country,” South Korea’s Unification Ministry 2 said in a report. The agency responsible for relations with North Korea, however, did not provide additional information.
U.S. diplomats 3 have said they are seeking a diplomatic answer to increased military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. However, U.S. President Donald Trump 4 has called diplomatic efforts useless. He said North Korea must give up its nuclear weapons before talks can begin.
China, the North’s major ally, and Russia both supported the latest U.N. sanctions. The measures seek to limit the North’s oil supply and earnings 5 from its workers in other countries.
On Tuesday, China released information showing that China exported no oil products to North Korea and imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November.
In its 2018 forecast, South Korea said it believed the North would find ways to deal with the effects of the U.N. sanctions.
The Joongang Ilbo Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that North Korea could also be preparing to launch a satellite into space. The report came from an unnamed South Korean government official.
Experts have said such launches are likely aimed at developing the North’s ballistic missile technology which would be banned under U.N. resolutions.
The North’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Monday that “peaceful space development is a legitimate 6 right of a sovereign state.”
I’m Jonathan Evans.
Words in This Story
prediction –n. an idea of what might happen in the future
pursue –v. to seek, to continue an effort
sanctions –n. measures against a country meant to cause it to obey international law usually by limiting trade
de facto –expression (foreign) something that exists but is not officially recognized
forecast –n. a report on what someone thinks will happen in the future
sovereign –adj. having the right and power to govern itself
- They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
- The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。
- They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
- We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
- These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
- The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
- The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。
- That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
- Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。
- Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
- That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。