Some top national security aides of the United States President Joe Biden are bristling at an attorney general who tagged North Korea as a 'criminal syndicate with a flag' after the Justice Department indicted three North Koreans for cybertheft charges in February, according to two senior officials of the Biden administration.
US Officials Call North Korea a 'Criminal Syndicate With a Flag'
The top national security aides complained to the Justice Department that it is not the toned-down type that senior officials had agreed on earlier to use when speaking publicly regarding North Korea. For them, it risked antagonizing Pyongyang. One among senior officials shared that aides at the National Security Council were not pleased with the choice of language and expressed concern to the Justice Department that it would provoke North Korea.
According to NBC News, concerns within the White House also stirred up a looming crisis that the new president has not contended with publicly. It exposes tensions within the government over whether it is best to confront or ignore the nuclear threat possessed by North Korea. When asked to comment by the news outlet, a spokesperson for the National Security Council declined, same with the Justice Department.
Based on the information given by a former and three current senior administration officials, Biden's national security team decided early last month that they will take a softer tone in addressing North Korea publicly. Biden's national security team concluded that provoking the Hermit state while reviewing the new administration policy is the opposite of the U.S. goals with North Korea.
Biden's Economic Plan Includes First Major Tax Hike Since 1993
Moreover, during a so-called principals committee meeting of senior officials hosted by the National Security Council, they have agreed not to 'rock the boat,' especially that North Korea has yet to provoke the new administration. An official shared that until they have a better sense of how they will approach the problem, they are trying not to make waves, Yahoo! News reported.
North Korea always provoked the United States first, as weeks after former President Donald Trump took office in 2017, the Hermit state tested an intermediate-range missile. While a month into the first term of former President Barack Obama, the state news agency of North Korea telegraphed preparations for a launch, and the new administration at the time unsuccessfully warned Pyongyang against it.
Meanwhile, North Korea has not made such a move during the Biden administration. Officials stated that the national security aides of Biden would like to keep it that way.
North Korea Sends Warning to Biden Administration
During the announcement of the North Koreans' indictment on February 17, the assistant attorney general for national security, John Demers, did not hold back. Aside from tagging North Korea as a 'criminal syndicate with a flag,' he also added that its operatives are the world's leading bank robbers. The message was not coordinated with the White House, according to the officials, USA Today reported.
Biden has repeatedly vowed that during his office, the Justice Department will be handling investigations independently. Officials also stated that the Biden administration's North Korea policy review is not expected to be complete until April or early May.
Also from HNGN:
