US is Ready to Negotiate with North Korea Without Preconditions
The US envoy to North Korea calls for dialogue, saying that the goal remains the "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
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The North said the United States was overreacting to a submarine-launched ballistic missile test.
The US announced its readiness to negotiate with North Korea without preconditions, calling it to stop what it described as "destabilizing provocative activities".
"Our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," said the US envoy to North Korea, Sung Kim, "That’s why Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile test, one of several in the past six weeks, is concerning and counterproductive to making progress toward a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula."
On Thursday, North Korea said the US was overreacting to a submarine-launched ballistic missile test, and questioned the sincerity of Washington's offers of talks.
Sung Kim said that the launch violated multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to North Korea’s neighbors and the international community.
"We call on the DPRK to cease these provocations and other destabilizing activities and instead engage in dialogue," he said. "We remain ready to meet with DPRK without preconditions and we have made clear that the United States harbors no hostile intent toward DPRK, Kim added.
The US' envoy to North Korea, Sung Kim, arrived in South Korea on Saturday for a visit that comes amid stalled denuclearization talks and tension over Pyongyang's latest missile tests.
On another note, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas Greenfield, called for meetings with North Korea without preconditions a few days ago.
Yesterday, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myung accused the US of increasing tension in the Asia-Pacific region by "inciting Taiwan independence."
It is worth noting that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said earlier that the US was the "root cause" of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
