North Korea ‘open to US talks’ despite sanctions
SENIOR officials from Pyongyang visiting South Korea yesterday said North Korea was open to talks with the US, according to the South’s presidency, hours after the North accused Washington of trying to stir up conflict on the peninsula with new sanctions.
In Pyeongchang for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, the visiting delegation also said developments in relations between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the US should go hand in hand, the South’s presidency said in a statement.
The delegation met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at an undisclosed location in the Olympic city.
Responding to the meeting, the US state department said improved relations between South and North Korea hinged on resolving Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
“We are in close contact with the Republic of Korea about our unified response to North Korea.
“As President Moon stated, ‘the improvement of relations between North and South Korea cannot advance separately from resolving North Korea’s nuclear programme’,” a state department spokesman said.
Earlier, a statement released by North Korean state media accused the US of provoking confrontation on the Korean peninsula with Friday’s sanctions announcement.
Yesterday’s closing ceremony was attended by Mr Moon, the North Korean delegation, and US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, among other dignitaries.
Ms Trump, who is a senior White House adviser, had no interaction with the North Korean delegation, a senior US administration official said. She met Mr Moon on Friday as part of a weekend trip to lead the US delegation to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
The Olympics have given a boost to engagement between the two Koreas after more than a year of sharply rising tension over the North’s missile tests and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of UN sanctions.
But the closing days of the games were overshadowed by the US announcement that it was imposing its largest package of sanctions aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programmes.
“Thanks to our supreme leadership’s noble love for the nation and strong determination for peace, long-awaited inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation have been realised and the Olympics took place successfully by the inter-Korean collaboration,” the North’s KCNA state news agency said, citing North Korea’s ministry of foreign affairs.