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Trump reverses Treasury sanctions on North Korea

President says he would go against his own department to rescind sanctions

Traffic passes a large LED screen as it shows a handshake between U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on the second day of the USA-DPRK summit on February 28, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Traffic passes a large LED screen as it shows a handshake between U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on the second day of the USA-DPRK summit on February 28, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump announced Friday he would go against the order of his own Treasury Department and remove additional sanctions imposed on North Korea. 

Trump, via Twitter, said he would not add to existing sanctions on the country, aimed at slowing its nuclear ambitions. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced Thursday it would impose sanctions on two Chinese-based shipping companies that helped North Korea evade sanctions.

When asked about the sanctions, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “President Trump likes Chairman Kim and he doesn’t think these sanctions will be necessary.” 

Much of Trump’s diplomatic outreach with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been based on his contention they have a personal relationship and a bond.

Trump met with Kim last month in Vietnam to work on a nuclear disarmament deal, but the Hanoi summit was cut short after they reached an impasse over sanctions. 

White House aides, at that time, signaled the two sides will continue negotiations.

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