DIALOGUE

North Korea Open to Restarting Nuclear Negotiations With U.S.

Talks have been stalled since a second summit failed in February.

North Korea has said it is willing to restart nuclear weapons negotiations with the United States. The signal came from Vice North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Huion in a statement on Monday that was then picked up by North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA. Son Huion said Pyongyang is willing to meet as soon as late September at a time and place agreed upon by both sides. Talks between the two countries have stalled since February when a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un ended in failure.

The North Korean leader has kept East Asia—and the rest of the world—on razor’s edge as he continues to conduct missile launch tests. KCNA reported that a recent test involved “a newly developed large-caliber multiple launch guided rocket system.” If the report is accurate, that would mean North Korea has advanced its technical ability to hit anywhere in South Korea, including the large American base located 40 miles southeast of Seoul.