Washington open to talks with North Korea
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration, scrambling to avoid a rift with an ally, has told South Korea it is open to holding preliminary talks with North Korea, according to two senior administration officials and a spokesman for the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in.
The decision, which came after Vice President Mike Pence attended the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and met with Moon, reflects how thoroughly the diplomatic channel between the North and South has upended the administration’s calculations.
For months, the White House has rejected the idea of meeting with North Korea unless it took measurable steps toward giving up its nuclear stockpile and curbing its provocative behavior. Now, though, with Moon determined to engage with the North, these officials said the administration has decided on a course correction.
The decision was a victory for South Korea. “The United States, too, looks positively at SouthNorth Korean dialogue and has expressed its willingness to start dialogue with the North,” Moon said Tuesday, according to his spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom.
U.S. officials were more guarded, saying they were open to talks but not a full-fledged negotiation.
The U.S., they said, would reiterate its demands that North Korea make concessions and did not plan to offer any in return. As of now, there are no plans to cancel or further delay joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea, scheduled for after the Olympic Games.
Still, the tactical shift by the White House opens the door to an unpredictable new phase in the crisis over North Korea. It also shows how the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has been able to use the Olympics to pursue a thaw with a receptive counterpart in the South.
President Donald Trump himself has oscillated between a get-tough approach and a dealmaker’s belief that he can sit down with Kim and work out an agreement.