SBS News reporter Kirsty Johansen is in South Korea for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games from February 9 to February 25.
South Korea’s Unification Minister insists North Korea does intend on talking with the US on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.
There are reports that the South Korean President Moon Jae-in tried to organise a meeting on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics last weekend with the Korean delegation and the US.
But the North said it wasn’t interested.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reports the US had notified Japan in advance that if there were to be any talks with the North, the US would not budge on its precondition not to hold discussions unless North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear program.
It follows reports that US Vice President Mike Spence stayed briefly at a reception before the opening ceremony.
He’s since said he did not try to avoid Kim Jong Un’s sister at the Olympics, but did ignore her.
Mr Pence said he did not greet the delegation given that North Korea’s was “the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet".
”I didn’t believe it was proper for the United States of America to give any countenance or attention in that forum to someone who is not merely the sister of the dictator, but is the leader of the propaganda effort,” he said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed there will be no meaningful dialogue unless the North gives up its nuclear program.
South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told SBS News exclusively that he does believe the North intends on talking with the US.
“Recently even the American government has said it’s interested in talking to North Korea and I’m sure North Korea has an intention to talk with the US,” he said.
“The talks between the US and North Korea are very important to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Our government is making a major effort to make this happen.”
Mr Pence told Axios that regardless of the North-South talks, there was “no daylight” between the allies on the need to intensify pressure on Pyongyang.
“We will all remain united in our shared commitment that the Kim regime in North Korea must permanently abandon their nuclear weapons program to see it dismantled, to accept denuclearization before there is any progress whatsoever on the pressure on the sanctions,” he said.
- With Reuters
