Time running out for talks, says N. Korea
SEOUL: Time is running out for the US to devise a new plan to revive denuclearisation talks, a senior North Korean diplomat said yesterday.
Negotiations have been stalled since a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam in February collapsed over differences between US calls for complete denuclearisation and Mr Kim's demands for sanctions relief.
Mr Kim has said a third meeting would be possible only if Washington adopted a more flexible approach, setting a year-end deadline.
Mr Kwon Jong Gun, director-general for US affairs at the North's Foreign Ministry, said the US continues to speak of dialogue while "becoming more and more desperate in its hostile acts".
He did not elaborate, but a Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the recent US extension of sanctions against North Korea was an act of hostility and an outright challenge to the first summit between Mr Kim and Mr Trump in Singapore last year.
"The dialogue would not open by itself though the United States repeatedly talks about resumption of dialogue like a parrot without considering any realistic proposal that would fully conform with the interests of both sides," Mr Kwon said.
"If the United States is to move towards producing a result, time will not be enough."
In contrast, US officials have raised hopes for a restart of official talks following a recent exchange of letters between the two leaders.
Mr Kwon added that any new talks should be led by a "counterpart who has a good sense of communication". - REUTERS
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