U.S. notes 'with interest' North Korean remarks on diplomacy: official

UPI

a day ago

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Washington has noted "with interest" a recent statement by the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un suggesting a willingness to resume dialogue with the United States under certain conditions, a U.S. State Department official said.
Seth Bailey, acting deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the remark at a public event Thursday in reference to comments made last week by Kim Yo Jong.
In a published statement, Kim dismissed the notion of resuming denuclearization talks with Washington but appeared to leave open the possibility of a new approach to negotiations.
"The recognition of the irreversible position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state ... should be a prerequisite," Kim said. "It would be advisable to seek another way of contact on the basis of such new thinking."
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
She added that her brother's relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump was "not bad."
"We have seen high-level statements from the DPRK leadership, including recent statements from Kim Yo Jong, which we note with interest," Bailey said at an event in Arlington, Va., held by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for family members of missing troops from the Korean War.
Bailey said that the Trump administration remains committed to the principles outlined in a joint statement from his 2018 Singapore summit with Kim Jong Un.
"Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, he has made clear his willingness to engage in negotiations with North Korea to achieve these policy goals," Bailey said. "The president has offered to engage Chairman Kim Jong Un on multiple occasions."
Bailey also noted the efforts by the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to improve relations with the North.
"The new ROK administration has demonstrated a willingness to engage with North Korea, taking meaningful steps to reduce tensions across the Korean Peninsula," Bailey said, using the official acronym for South Korea.
Earlier this week, the South Korean military removed loudspeakers that had been installed along the DMZ to blast anti-Pyongyang messages across the border. Seoul also recently repatriated six North Koreans and has made multiple public calls for the North to resume inter-Korean communications.
On Thursday, the United States and South Korea announced details of their upcoming large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise. Roughly half of their 40 planned field training exercises will be postponed until next month, both militaries said, citing factors such as an ongoing heat wave. However, speculation has swirled that the move was made in an effort to avoid provoking Pyongyang, which frequently condemns the drills as rehearsals for an invasion.
Seoul's Unification Ministry on Friday echoed Bailey's calls for the resumption of diplomacy with North Korea.
"South Korea and the United States share the position that they are open to dialogue with North Korea for peace on the Korean Peninsula and a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue," ministry spokeswoman Chang Yoon-jeong said at a press briefing when asked about Bailey's remarks.
"The government has also repeatedly expressed its active support for the resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks," she said.
Chang added that the Unification Ministry is working on proposals for cooperation between Seoul and Washington on North Korean issues ahead of an expected summit between Presidents Lee and Trump later this month.
"In preparation for the South Korea-U.S. summit, we are in close consultation with relevant organizations regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula and the restoration of inter-Korean relations," she said.