U.S. shifts policy on N. Korea talks

Vice President says there will be no preconditions for any discussion

WASHINGTON — The United States is open for talks without preconditions with nuclear North Korea, Vice President Mike Pence has declared, subtly shifting White House policy after Olympicsinspired gestures of respect between the rival Koreas.

That provides more leverage for South Korea in its outreach to the North and could reduce potential strains in the U.S.-South Korean alliance. But diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang won’t start unless Kim Jong Un wants it to. While the North Korean dictator, who has yet to meet a foreign leader, has invited the South Korean president for a rare summit, he has given no sign of being ready to talk to the U.S.

A back channel of diplomatic communication between North Korea and the State Department has remained open since President Donald Trump took office, but the only substantive talks reported to date were in the first half of last year over the fate of several Americans in North Korean custody. The North has refused to negotiate over its nuclear weapons as it nears its goal of being able to launch an atomic-tipped missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.

Trump views those weapons as America’s primary national security threat. His administration’s 2019 budget, released Monday, includes hundreds of millions dollars more for missile defense, adding 20 strategic interceptors in Alaska to protect against longrange, North Korean projectiles. Meanwhile, Pence is making clear that the U.S. will keep escalating sanctions pressure on the North until it takes clear steps toward giving up its nukes.

But at the same time, Pence signaled more openness to engagement with Pyongyang.

Pence’s office said that didn’t reflect a shift in Trump administration policy, as the president has previously expressed openness to talks.