North Korea rethinks talks with US, missile moratorium

North Korea is considering whether to continue talks with the US and maintain a moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests given that the US has not changed its attitude, said a North Korean official.

At a press conference on Friday, North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Choe Sonhui said that North Korea hasn’t conducted nuclear tests or launched missiles in 15 months, so part of the sanctions on the country should be lifted.

Meanwhile the US has repeatedly required complete denuclearization.

The US attitude is complicating the situation and North Korea believes it is unnecessary to have a continued dialogue unless the US changes its attitude. North Korea is also considering if it is necessary to suspend missile launches and nuclear tests, said Choe.

The comments came after the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jongun and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi which failed to reach an agreement last month.

Choe said that the US showed no sincerity toward improving the bilateral relationship and carrying out their agreement in Singapore, where the two leaders first met in June 2018.

Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that North Korea and the US are now at a stage where the two sides are observing each other’s attitudes.

“At this stage, the US should sit at the negotiating table with North Korea as soon as possible in order to maintain the peaceful situation. If the two sides return to the confrontation stage, the Korean Peninsula will be in a dangerous state,” Lü said.

“North Korea has taken some practical steps toward denuclearization. So its appeal to lift some sanctions is reasonable and the US needs to respond to it,” he said.