US Open To Diplomatic Talks With North Korea Over Denuclearization

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, Joseph Yuosang Yun, said Friday that Washington was willing to commence dialogue with North Korea over denuclearization.

According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, Yun, after his meeting with the Vice Unification Minister of South Korea Chun Hae-sung in Seoul, reportedly stated that he perceived the renewed communication between South and North Korea and the latter sending their delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics this year, as a “good opportunity” to make efforts toward denuclearization.

Yun said: “We want to open dialogue with North Korea, we want to have a credible dialogue, a dialogue that could lead steps towards denuclearization.”

“That is our goal and of course President Moon [Jae-in] has also emphasized that goal too,” added Yun.

In relation to the meeting with Hae-sung, Yun said: “I told him ... that U.S. of course wants to see a very secure, very successful Olympics, and we want to do what we can to help.”

“And I also emphasize to them that this is a good opportunity to make progress on denuclearization, which is of course the ultimate goal of the United States. And we agreed to talk again at some future date," Yun added

Yun’s meeting with Hae-sung came at a time when tensions with the North are a bit calm as the country sent its delegation to South Korea for the Winter Olympics, Thursday.

According to a report by the Chosun Ilbo, 10 North Korean athletes along with their 22-member staff arrived in South Korea Thursday afternoon via a chartered flight.

The report further stated that the North Korean delegation started their journey from Kalma Airport situated near North Korea’s Masikryong Ski Resort, where they trained with some South Korean skiers who visited the place a day earlier.

Won Kil-u, the North Korean Vice Sports Minister leading the delegation said: “I bring the regards of our Northern compatriots to our brethren in the South."

The athletes in the delegation included the figure skating pair Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik, who were the first athletes from North Korea to qualify for the Winter Olympics.

The Yonhap News Agency report stated that the South Korean government hoped the recent communications with their Northern counterpart would lead to talks between the U.S. and North Korea in order to strike a breakthrough on the nuclear stalemate.

In a press release, the Ministry of Unification stated that Yun and Hae-sung, in the meeting, talked about “pending issues” which comprised of North Korea’s participation in the Winter Olympics, its missiles and nuclear related topics.

The ministry also added that Yun reconfirmed the fact that the U.S. remained open to talks with North Korea over the issue of denuclearization and also agreed to communicate in order to turn the Winter Olympics event into a “virtuous cycle” with regards to solving the nuclear issue in North Korea.

Yun is scheduled to meet South Korean nuclear envoy, Lee Do-Hoon, Monday, the report said.