SEOUL– South Korea and the United States have shared an understanding that they should have “concrete” measures ready should North Korea accept the U.S. dialogue offer, a source said Thursday.
The two sides shared the view in a series of meetings that U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim and his deputy and deputy assistant secretary of state, Jung Pak, held with South Korean officials earlier this week, according to the source.
The source, however, declined to give details about what the concrete action would be.
“There were a lot of discussions on the understanding shared between South Korea and the U.S. that they can and should share concrete measures and start them immediately, when there is a North Korean response, as we anticipate such a response,” the source said.
“It’s not appropriate to explain in detail, although I understand that there were discussions on various measures,” the source added.
While in Seoul, Kim said the U.S. has offered to meet with the North “anywhere, anytime without preconditions” and looks forward to Pyongyang responding positively to the dialogue offer.
But North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon on Wednesday categorically rejected the U.S. offer for talks, saying the country is not considering “even the possibility of any contact with the U.S.”
His statement came after Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North’s leader Kim Jong-un, said that the U.S. has “wrong expectations” for dialogue with Pyongyang.
Source: Yonhap News Agency