- U.S. special envoy Kim Sung insisted that the United States has no hostility towards North Korea.
- Kim said that military exercises between the United States and South Korea are routine.
- There are discussions about denuclearization and food aid.
Washington’s special envoy for North Korea said during a visit to South Korea on Monday that the United States is not hostile to Pyongyang and is willing to meet anytime, anywhere.
Kim Sung arrived in Seoul on Saturday for a four-day visit.
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The visit was a temporary thawing of North-South Korea relations in July, giving way to a new deadlock in the US-South Korea military exercises. North Korea warned that this could trigger a security crisis.
“The United States is not hostile to (North Korea),” Kim told reporters after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk.
“The ongoing (U.S.-South Korea) joint military exercises are long-term, routine, and purely defensive in nature, supporting the security of our two countries.”
Noh said the two discussed possible humanitarian assistance to North Korea and ways to restart the deadlocked denuclearization negotiations.
“We agreed to work together to resume dialogue with North Korea as soon as possible,” he said.
Peace process
Read | U.S. envoy proposes to meet with North Korea “anytime, anywhere”
A Foreign Ministry official said that on Sunday, Kim Jong-un met with Foreign Minister Zheng Yiyong at the minister’s residence, where they discussed ways to quickly resume the peace process on the Korean peninsula.
The US envoy is expected to meet with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov in Seoul on Tuesday.
The nine-day joint military exercise began on August 16. Despite fears that the country may conduct missile tests or take other actions to emphasize its opposition, North Korea’s official media has remained silent so far.
North Korea has stated that it is open to diplomacy, but when “hostile acts” such as exercises continue, the US’s positives seem hollow.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has stated that it will explore diplomatic means to denuclearize North Korea, but it has not shown a willingness to relax sanctions.
Kim said that the United States supports efforts to improve relations between the two countries and is open to direct dialogue with North Korea.
“I will continue to be ready to meet with my North Korean counterparts at any time,” he said.
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