The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
But the US has ruled out any possibility of talks before the North takes steps towards denuclearisation, and imposed what Trump hailed as the “toughest ever” sanctions on Kim’s regime late last month.
On Saturday, a foreign ministry spokesman in Pyongyang called on the US drop any preconditions for talks.
“The US is taking preposterous action by continuing to trumpet an insistence that it will not have dialogue unless a right condition is met,” the unnamed spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency.
The North has stressed that it had no intention of abandoning its nuclear arsenal, hailed by Kim as a “treasured sword of justice” to protect his nation from potential invasion by the US.
– The ‘right’ conditions –
Kim Yo Jong, during her visit last month, extended her brother’s invitation for Moon to visit Pyongyang for a summit.
But the South Korean president responded by stressing the importance of having the right “conditions” for talks, suggesting a step towards denuclearisation demanded by Washington.
The Pyongyang trip by his representatives may be a first step towards creating such conditions, said Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at the Sejong Institute think tank, said in a statement.
“You can’t expect them to produce any major agreement with this trip alone, but maybe they could at least discuss ways to stop the North from conducting any more ICBM tests,” he said.
Pyongyang’s weapons tests, which demonstrated rapid progress in the country’s missile technology, alarmed the US and prompted calls by some in Washington to launch pre-emptive attacks on the North.
“They can start from there… in a bid to eventually discuss potential suspension of the North’s nuclear and missile activities in the future,” Cheong said.
