Pence Suggests He Is Open to Meeting With North Korean Officials in Pyeongchang

Vice President Mike Pence has suggested he’s open to meeting with North Korean officials at the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea. Pence told reporters ahead of his departure Monday that he hasn’t requested any such meetings but would not rule them out. “We’ll see what happens,” he said during a stop in Alaska. Pence, who is leading the U.S. delegation to the Games, is expected to use the visit to pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear program. “We’re traveling to the Olympics to make sure that North Korea doesn’t use the powerful symbolism and the backdrop of the Winter Olympics to paper over the truth about their regime, a regime that oppresses its own people,” he said Monday. Fred Warmbier, the father of the late Otto Warmbier, will be attending the event as Pence’s guest to underscore Washington’s message about the dangers North Korea poses. Otto Warmbier died last year after more than a year in North Korean custody.