Japan, South Korea and the United States have reaffirmed their “resolute commitment” to North Korea’s “complete denuclearization,” following hints by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he is open to returning to talks with U.S. President Donald Trump — if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang give up its nukes.
Meeting for trilateral talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, the three countries’ top diplomats used a joint statement to pour cold water on the chances of the U.S. ditching its longstanding goal of demanding that North Korea relinquish its nuclear program.
Still, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, South Korea’s top diplomat, Cho Hyun, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did leave the door to talks with Pyongyang slightly open, saying in a joint statement that they would continue “to make efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.”
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