President Trump Extends Executive Orders on North Korea

In the last 10 years, there have been five presidential executive orders issued with regard to North Korea and its aspirations to build a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach the U.S. mainland.

There also exists a presidential declaration of a state of emergency regarding the regime of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. With those all about to expire and given the current state of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, President Donald Trump has notified Congress that nothing has changed, and they should all be extended.

The White House released the following text from the president’s memo to Congress:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days of the anniversary date of its declaration, the president publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with that provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to North Korea declared in Executive Order 13466 of June 26, 2008, expanded in scope in Executive Order 13551 of August 30, 2010, addressed further in Executive Order 13570 of April 18, 2011, further expanded in scope in Executive Order 13687 of January 2, 2015 and under which additional steps were taken in Executive Order 13722 of March 15, 2016, is to continue in effect beyond June 26, 2017.

The existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula; the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea that destabilize the Korean Peninsula and imperil United States Armed Forces, allies and trading partners in the region, including its pursuit of nuclear and missile programs and other provocative, destabilizing and repressive actions and policies of the Government of North Korea continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to North Korea. {eoa}