Talks between North and South Korea failed to actualize last week due to disagreement over who should attend as delegates.
Earlier this year, North Korea escalated regional tension by conducting its third nuclear test and threatening to attack South Korea and US targets. It also cut off all communication and trade flow with South Korea and closed down a key joint industrial zone.
However, with sanctions continuing and international trade down, in recent weeks North Korea had been assuming a softer stance.
Denis McDonough, chief of staff to the US President said on CBS News that North Korea would be judged “by its actions, not by the nice words we heard yesterday.”
McDonough took a tough stance and said, “They’re not going to be able to talk their way out of very significant sanctions they’re under now.”
US National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden stated, “Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization.”
However, BBC reported that the National Defence Commission of North Korea, the body, which runs the country de facto, had suggested that talks on denuclearization would also have to include reduction of U.S. weapons.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesman Kin Hyung-seok said on the issue that “The window of dialogue is open but the North should take concrete steps first.”
US, Japan and South Korea are to meet in Washington this week to discuss the nuclear disarmament of North Korea.