U.S. President Donald Trump extended for another year the national emergency measures targeting North Korea. The decision was based on the judgment that North Korea's possession and potential proliferation of nuclear material, and regime-level threatening actions, still burden U.S. security, diplomacy, and the economy.
According to a document released by the White House on the 26th (local time), President Trump signed on the 22nd an order extending the effect of the national emergency on North Korea. With this decision, the emergency measures related to North Korea, first introduced in 2008 under the George W. Bush administration, will be maintained for another year.
The U.S. national emergency on North Korea initially began with a focus on the North's nuclear development issue. But as North Korea's cyberattacks, human rights issues, and the 2010 Cheonan incident were added, its scope expanded. The measure has served as the legal basis for maintaining various U.S. sanctions on North Korea, including freezing North Korea-related assets and restricting transactions.
The United States can declare a national emergency if it determines that a particular country or issue poses a significant risk to its national security, foreign policy, or economy. The president decides each year whether to extend the measure if the need continues.
During the first term, President Trump also signed documents each year extending the national emergency related to North Korea. With the same decision again this June following last year, Washington's pressure campaign on the North is expected to continue for the time being.