On Friday, North Korea strongly condemned the Trump administration’s recent demand for international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to reveal whether their activities are linked to socialist or anti-American groups.
In a statement released through KCNA, Jo Chol Su, North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland, criticized the move, stating, “The U.S.’s attempt to treat international organizations as subordinate to the U.S. State Department goes far beyond previous arrogance and rudeness, provoking widespread astonishment.”
The ambassador continued, “International organizations are inherently based on fairness and objectivity and prohibit interference or pressure from any single nation. This inquiry indicates that the U.S. attempts to subordinate these organizations to its own ‘America First’ agenda, making them instruments to serve its interests.”
He went on to argue that the actions of the current U.S. administration, which imposes its ‘America First’ doctrine on the international community, foreshadow the emergence of a “21st-century McCarthyism.”
Jo emphasized that such behavior, which undermines global efforts toward multi-polarity and fosters confrontation, must be condemned. He called on the international community to ensure that organizations like the UN are not manipulated by U.S. unilateralism and overreach.
Reports indicate that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently sent a questionnaire to humanitarian organizations, including the UN Refugee Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The 36 questions included politically charged inquiries, such as:
“Can you confirm that you do not collaborate with communist, socialist, totalitarian parties, or organizations supporting anti-American ideologies?”