U.S. President Joe Biden’s point man for North Korea said Washington was ready for talks "anywhere, anytime” with Pyongyang, providing a strong signal the White House is prepared to revive a stagnant disarmament dialogue with the North.
Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, said after discussions Monday in Seoul with South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk and Japan’s Takehiro Funakoshi that the Biden administration’s policy called for "a calibrated, practical approach,” which includes possible diplomacy with North Korea.
"We continue to hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach and our offer to meet anywhere, anytime, without preconditions,” Sung Kim said, referring to North Korea by its formal name. He also said the U.S. will press ahead with United Nations sanctions put in place to punish North Korea for its tests of nuclear devices and missiles that could carry warheads to the U.S. mainland.