US may talk with N. Korea

By Kim Jae-kyung, Kim Bo-eun

The United States appears to be cautiously considering dialogue with North Korea over denuclearization as Pyongyang has stepped up a peace offensive including a proposal for an inter-Korean summit.

The White House's National Security Council (NSC) said the U.S. was "willing to engage North Korea" to emphasize its position that the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was non-negotiable.

While stating the U.S. was open to talks with Pyongyang, it made clear it would also maintain pressure on the regime to give up its nuclear weapons.

"The maximum pressure campaign will intensify until the North Korean regime denuclearizes," an NSC official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. "We are in close contact with the Republic of Korea about our unified response to North Korea including the need to maintain maximum pressure to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."

The U.S. State Department echoed the view on simultaneous "maximum pressure and engagement" in a Tuesday briefing. It said preliminary talks, or "talks for talks" with Pyongyang, were possible.

This was in line with the latest remarks of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who said "the maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify. But if you want to talk, we'll talk," on his way back to Washington after visiting South Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony according to the Washington Post.

His remarks came after his chilly encounters with a high-level delegation from Pyongyang at the Games, which included North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong.

The change in his stance came after South Korean President Moon Jae-in assured in their meetings he would make sure the North would not get any economic or diplomatic benefits for just starting talks, and that these would come only after it took concrete steps toward denuclearization, according to the Washington Post.

"It appears the U.S. is willing to exercise flexibility in holding talks with North Korea," said Kim Hyung-joon, a professor of political science at Myongji University. "Talks could take place if the North does not make further provocations."

Lee Jun-han, a professor of political science at Incheon National University, said: "Because inter-Korean talks have begun, it appears U.S.-North Korea talks are more likely to take place. The talks will be held in tandem with inter-Korean talks, and at the earliest, preliminary talks between Washington and Pyongyang may take place in March."

However, some analysts said President Moon should make it clear North Korea must place denuclearization on the agenda if it really wants an inter-Korean summit.

They said without raising the issue, the summit will be just an empty meeting jeopardizing relations between South Korea and the United States and other allies.

"The proposed summit could improve inter-Korean relations," Joseph DeTrani, a former U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks with North Korea, told The Korea Times. "Certainly, those bilateral humanitarian issues, like reuniting separated families, could be discussed and, with progress, help improve relations."

However, DeTrani, who helped broker a 2005 agreement on North Korea's nuclear program, stressed talk about denuclearization must be at the top of the agenda.

"Ideally, Moon will make it clear to Pyongyang that he would also want to discuss the core nuclear issues that have soured North Korea's relations with South Korea and others," DeTrani said. "Indeed, a summit without any discussion of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would be very unfortunate. It would be a message to North Korea that eventually they will be accepted as a nuclear weapons state."

He pointed out Pyongyang's charm offensive using the Winter Games came after the young North Korean leader raised tensions with a series of nuclear and missile tests in recent years in the face of continued sanctions.

"Sanctions are hurting North Korea and joint military exercises are becoming more intense, a powerful deterrence message to Pyongyang," he said. "Participating in the Olympics could, ideally, relieve some of this pressure on North Korea. It could also possibly engender tension between South Korea and the U.S., a long-term goal of North Korea."

(责任编辑：行业动态)