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US seeks talks with North Korea as drills end

Wednesday, 21 August 2019 7:37 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 21 August 2019 7:38 PM ]

Frank Smith
Press TV, Seoul

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun met with his counterpart in Seoul Wednesday as Washington seeks to reopen talks with Pyongyang over the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the removal of sanctions and a non-aggression pact for North Korea.

The US wrapped up contentious military exercises with South Korea, Tuesday. North Korea has harshly criticized such drills and the buildup of US weapons in the South. The Pentagon tested a previously banned intermediate range missile Sunday which the new US Secretary of Defense wants to deploy to the region. Analysts suggest North Korea must exercise politically astute caution in dealing with Washington.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to restarting stalled talks on the nuclear issue when they met at the DMZ June 30. But with recent tensions over the joint US-South Korea drills and North Korean missile tests those talks have been again delayed.

The United States and North Korea have both indicated their willingness to resume negotiations. What is unclear is whether there is any appetite for the kind of compromise to warrant working on an agreement that would see Pyongyang give up its nuclear deterrent and Washington provide the necessary security assurances and sanctions relief as North Korea’s denuclearization process unfolds.

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