New U.S. envoy for North Korea looks forward to 'positive response' on
dialogue
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[June 21, 2021]
By Josh Smith and Sangmi Cha
SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States' new
top envoy for North Korea said on Monday in Seoul that he looks forward
to a "positive response soon" on dialogue from North Korea.
U.S. special representative for North Korea Sung Kim is in South Korea
for a five-day visit, amid an impasse in denuclearisation talks with
Pyongyang, with no word of any planned efforts to contact the North.
"We continue to hope that the DPRK will respond positively for our
outreach and our offer to meet anywhere, anytime without preconditions,"
Kim said, using the initials of North Korea's official name.
Kim arrived on Saturday, a day after North Korean state media reported
that leader Kim Jong Un urged preparation for both dialogue and
confrontation with the United States, particularly the latter.
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"We will be prepared for either, because you know, we are still waiting
to hear back from Pyongyang for a meeting," Sung Kim said. "Hopefully
dialogue indicates that we will get a positive response soon."
In the meantime, the United States will continue to enforce U.N.
Security Council resolutions that have imposed sanctions on North Korea
over its nuclear weapons programme and urge other countries to do the
same, Kim said.
Kim, who doubles as ambassador to Indonesia, had back-to-back meetings
with South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, as well as a
trilateral session involving his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro
Funakoshi.
Noh said he and Kim discussed ways to cooperate and facilitate the
"prompt" resumption of dialogue with North Korea.
Noh and Funakoshi were also scheduled to have a
bilateral meeting to discuss North Korea.
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![](../images/062121PIX/news_m21.jpg)
U.S. State Department official Sung Kim stands after U.S. President
Joe Biden announced Kim will serve as a special U.S. envoy for North
Korea during a joint news conference with South Korea's President
Moon Jae-in after a day of meetings at the White House, in
Washington, U.S. May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Kim's appointment came after U.S. President Joe Biden's
administration conducted a review of North Korea policy that
concluded the United States would seek to find "calibrated and
practical" ways of inducing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear
weapons.
The United States said on Sunday it saw Kim's comments as an
"interesting signal," but added that Washington was still waiting
for direct communication from Pyongyang to start any talks relating
to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
China is North Korea's only major ally, and is seen as a key player
in any efforts to resolve tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear
programme.
In a rare op-ed published in North Korea's main state newspaper on
Monday, China's top envoy to Pyongyang, Ambassador Li Jinjun
emphasised the long-standing ties between the two countries.
With the relationship between China and North Korea at a new
starting point, they will strengthen communication at every level
and boost cooperation to "contribute to regional peace, stability,
development and prosperity," Li wrote.
(Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Peter Cooney and Michael Perry)
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