U.S. voices disappointment over rhetoric escalation after N.K. leader calls NLL 'ghost' line

▲ The State Department in Washington (Yonhap)

US-N Korea-NLL

U.S. voices disappointment over rhetoric escalation after N.K. leader calls NLL 'ghost' line

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. State Department spokesperson expressed disappointment Friday over Pyongyang's escalation of hostile rhetoric against South Korea, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called a de facto inter-Korean sea border a "ghost" line, raising concerns about the possibility of maritime provocations.

The North's Korean Central News Agency reported this week that Kim portrayed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) as a ghost line without legal grounds, and stressed the need to "thoroughly defend the maritime sovereignty by force of arms and actions."

"We are disappointed by the DPRK's continued rejection of dialogue and the escalation of its hostile rhetoric towards the ROK," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email. ROK and DPRK stand for the official names of South and North Korea, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We believe inter-Korean cooperation is vital to achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. As we have repeatedly affirmed, the United States harbors no hostile intent towards the DPRK," the official added.

The spokesperson also said that the U.S. continues to consult with South Korea, Japan and other allies on how to best engage the North, deter aggression, and coordinate international responses to the North's ongoing and repeated violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The North has long disputed the NLL, arguing it was drawn unilaterally by U.N. Command after the 1950-53 Korean War. In the past, multiple inter-Korean naval skirmishes took place in waters near the NLL.

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