US made dialogue offer to N. Korea in July, no response yet: envoy
US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said that the overture was made through the so-called New York channel, involving the North's diplomatic mission at the UN, in July, as he highlighted the Joe Biden administration's continued commitment to reengage with Pyongyang.
"I believe our last communication with the DPRK was during the summer. We sent the message reiterating our interest in re-engagement and also re-offering our assistance in COVID-related items," Kim said in a meeting with reporters in Seoul, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "But I say 'no interest' (from the North) in the sense that they have not responded to any of our messages."
The ambassador pointed to a "strict" pandemic-induced lockdown in the North as well as the spread of the coronavirus as potential reasons why the North has remained unresponsive to the latest and previous overtures by the US in recent years.
"As they get the COVID situation under control, and as they open up, hopefully, they might show some interest," he said.
Kim stressed that both Seoul and Washington have "many creative ideas" for reengagement with the North, calling on Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table to work towards the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and address "issues of concern to all sides." But he did not elaborate.
"The problem is that in order for us to try these ideas, we need a partner. But the one thing we want to avoid is just negotiating by ourselves," he said. "We need a willing partner on the other side of the table, who will engage us in a serious discussion about all of these ideas that we have ... many creative ideas, including ideas to address their concerns."
Asked if his team will reach out to the North in the near future again, the envoy said it has no plans at the moment.
In a show of Washington's desire for diplomacy with Pyongyang, Kim noted Biden has not foreclosed the possibility of "leadership engagement" with the recalcitrant regime.
"We have not ruled out leadership engagement in diplomacy, but it would have to be done in a way that there's adequate preparation, and that prospects for progress are real in order for our president to engage personally," he said.
Touching on lingering concerns about the possibility of the North carrying out what would be its seventh nuclear test, Kim warned that there will be a "stronger-than-before" response should it happen.
"I think our response will be responsible and decisive, and it will send a very clear message to the DPRK that there are consequences to their irresponsible actions," Kim said.
He added, "I think it's inevitable that our response will be stronger than before. We need to build on what we have been doing because it wouldn't make sense for us to be remaining the same when North Koreans are continuing to escalate in terms of their provocation."
Asked to comment on the North's recent codification of an assertive nuclear policy, Kim took it seriously, but cautioned against "overanalyzing" it.
"I think the security risk is too real for us to just assume that anything's a bluff," he said. "I think rather than trying to overanalyze what it really means in reality, it is much more constructive for us to focus on what we can do, which is to make sure that we are prepared to deal with all contingencies."
Kim brushed aside speculation that North Korea might have been taken off the US' list of policy priorities as Washington is preoccupied with a raft of other challenges, like the war in Ukraine.
"I can assure you that this is still an issue of great priority and concern to the U.S. government," he said, cataloguing a series of concerns about the North's weapons of mass destruction programs and human rights and humanitarian situations.
Touching on Washington's "practical, incremental" approach toward the North's nuclear quandary, the envoy pointed out the technical reality: denuclearization cannot happen "overnight."
"So, they would have to be phased," he said. "I think it's reasonable to expect you sort of start with the (nuclear) freeze and you continue to build towards complete denuclearization."
On the possibility of arms reduction being an interim goal toward the end state of the North's denuclearization, he said that "no one" is talking about arms reduction.
"Our policy remains to pursue complete denuclearization through diplomacy," he added. (Yonhap)
(责任编辑:行业动态)
- 热浪来袭 科学应对防中暑
- Georgia governor election: Stacey Abrams says she lost to Brian Kemp.
- 恩平:水肥一体化种出马铃薯“小金豆”
- Sextech company reveals how COVID
- A Global Tour of Bakeries With Fascinating Histories
- 'Black Myth: Wukong' PS5 review in progress: A potential masterpiece
- ‘Ready to eat’ Italian pork in Korean market
- Inside Twitter's effort to change conversations with topics
- U.S. Senator calls out Tesla over Autopilot safety issues
- 广东超一半的北运淡水鱼来自这里!全链发力打响“南海鱼”金字招牌
- Larry Kudlow bashes Peter Navarro for "globalist billionaires" comments.
- 华农“航天宝”微生物菌剂赋能生态农业发展
- Belle Delphine, who sold gamer girl bathwater, isn't promoting that gamer girl pee
-
Max B. Sawicky ,August 6, 2024 Courting Di ...[详细]
-
Larry Kudlow bashes Peter Navarro for "globalist billionaires" comments.
Popular in News & Politics Elena Kagan Sees Exactly What Samuel Alit ...[详细] -
Haller out to extend Champions League scoring streak
AMSTERDAM:Sebastien Haller will be bidding to continue his remarkable scoring record in this season& ...[详细] -
Donald Trump hit a new low with racist tweets and everyone noticed
It's Sunday, July 14, and Donald Trump is saying racist stuff on Twitter.While that's been true of m ...[详细] -
I went to an offline dating event for singles. Here's how it went.
It's a Wednesday night in south-east London and dozens of intrepid young single people are sitting c ...[详细] -
市民拍下的蓝天白云雅安日报/北纬网讯2019年第一季度全国空气质量排名出炉了!12日,生态环境部向媒体通报了2019年3月和2019年1-3月全国空气质量状况。在今年第一季度全国空气质量前20名中,雅 ...[详细]
-
Migrant caravan: LGBTQ migrants arrive in Tijuana.
Popular in News & Politics Elena Kagan Sees Exactly What Samuel Alit ...[详细] -
Facebook apologetic after a 'technical issue' offends China's leader
More like Egg-On-Your-Facebook, amirite?Facebook is striking an apologetic tone after Burmese text p ...[详细] -
Norris stuns Verstappen at Dutch GP
ZANDVOORT:McLaren's Lando Norris stormed to victory at the Dutch Grand Prix Sunday, a superb dri ...[详细] -
Brilliant Hubble photos show colliding galaxies
When galaxies collide, they appear distorted and strange.This week, astronomers working on the NASA ...[详细]
- Black Friday GPU Buying Guide: November GPU Pricing Update
- 培育“新农人”,助推徐闻农业高质量发展
- At long last, there's a bubble tea emoji
- All the reasons for “presidential harassment” from the new Democratic House.
- 21 Unexpected Wonders in Colorado’s Vibrant Cities and Small Towns
- Crypto startup Dfinity is proving a point with LinkedUp, an open version of LinkedIn
- Shiffrin exits without individual medal