0
U.S. President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of their summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018. / AP-Yonhap News

The second Trump administration has renewed North Korea’s designation as a threat under the U.S. national emergency framework, marking the first such renewal since President Donald Trump’s return to office in January.

According to the U.S. Federal Register on June 22 (local time), the White House issued a notice on June 20 stating it would extend the national emergency declared under Executive Order 13466 (2008) for one more year. The current designation was set to expire on June 26.

The White House explained that North Korea’s possession and potential proliferation of fissile material usable in nuclear weapons “continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” warranting continued emergency status under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

		0
The U.S. Federal Register on June 22 (local time) announced the extension of the national emergency regarding North Korea, originally declared under Executive Order 13466 in 2008 and set to expire on June 26. / Screenshot from the U.S. Federal Register website

It also emphasized that the behavior and policies of the North Korean regime threaten U.S. interests across multiple domains, including national security, diplomacy, and the economy.

In addition, President Trump determined that certain restrictions on North Korea must be maintained under the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), according to the White House.

Since 2008, under the George W. Bush administration, the United States has continuously designated North Korea as a national emergency concern. This year’s renewal is the first under Trump’s second term.

Under IEEPA, the U.S. president can declare a national emergency in response to unusual threats and thereby expand executive authority. Such emergency declarations must be reviewed and extended annually.