North Korea’s National Defense Commission has issued a statement today offering to hold talks with the United States, but rejecting recent offers as insincere, saying that they must end sanctions first to prove their sincerity.
Over the weekend the US had said it was open to talks so long as North Korea unilaterally disarmed first, but Secretary of State John Kerry has since ruled out talks, saying they would be “artificial.”
North Korea’s own statement made several other demands, but didn’t appear to condition the talks on anything but the sanctions. Included was a call for the US and South Korea to end military drills along the border.
Also included was a call for South Korea to stop all statements blaming North Korea for various things, centering around the recent allegations of a “cyber-attack,” which officials have conceded may well have nothing to do with North Korea.
Well said NK.