In a comment reminiscent of former President George Bush Jr.’s State of the Union Address in 2002, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has described
North Korea as an “evil, evil place” during a television interview.
Speaking with U.S. broadcaster MSNBC on Wednesday, Secretary
of State Kerry asserted that North Korea is “one of the most closed and cruel
places on earth,” before going on, “There’s no question about it. There’s evil that is taking
place there that all of us ought to be deeply and are deeply concerned about.”
“This is an evil, evil place. And it requires enormous focus by the world in order to hold it
accountable,” he said. “I think every aspect of any law that can
be applied should be applied.”
Kerry’s words seem destined to put indirect pressure on the government
of President Park Geun Hye, which recently concluded an agreement with North
Korea that not only facilitated the most recent round of separated family
reunions at Mt. Geumgang, but also stipulated a halt to mutual slander between the two Koreas.
