Trump says he’s open to talks

President Donald Trump on Saturday said he remains open to direct talks with North Korea’s regime over its nuclear program and added that he hopes the rogue Asian nation participates in the Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea next month.

“Sure, I always believe in talking,” Trump said during a news conference at Camp David, where he was meeting with Republican congressional leaders over the GOP’s 2018 agenda. “But we have a very firm stance. … But I absolutely would do that.”

Asked if has no prerequisites to bilateral talks — past U.S. presidents have demanded the North be committed to denuclearization — Trump said Pyongyang knows that he is “not messing around” in his past statements that he will protect the United States and its allies against attacks from the North.

“At the same time, if we can come up with a very peaceful and a very good solution. … If something happens and something comes out of those talks, that would be a great thing for all humanity, it would be a great thing for all the world,” Trump said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in assured Trump that his government would coordinate talks between the Koreas to discuss the possibility of Pyongyang sending a delegation to the Games.

The Olympics will be in Pyeongchang, 50 miles from the heavily fortified border between the Koreas.