Like we reported at the top of the broadcast, North Korea, just hours ago, said it was willing to resume denuclearization talks with the U.S.,... under the condition that Washington come back to the table with a new proposal acceptable to Pyeongyang.
To this U.S. President Donald Trump said he'll see what happens as meetings are a good thing.
Lee Seung-jae has the full story.
In a statement carried by the North's state-run media Korean Central News Agency,... the regime's first vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui says she has taken note of Washington's repeated calls for a resumption of talks,... and Pyeongyang is willing to resume talks as long as Washington comes up with a new proposal acceptable to the North.
According to Choe,... North Korea is willing "to sit with the U.S. for comprehensive discussions of the issues" the two sides have discussed so far,... with the talks to happen "at the time and place to be agreed late in September".
The regime's vice foreign minister believes that the U.S. has had "enough time" to come up with a proposal geared to the interests of the North and the U.S.,... and warned that should the next proposal fall short again,... North Korea-U.S. dealings may come to an end.
The latest comments coming out of North Korea come as U.S. officials have consistently urged Pyeongyang to return to talks,... despite the regime's continued testing of short-range ballistic missiles.
Speaking to reporters at the White House... shortly after Choe's statement,... U.S. President Donald Trump said meetings are a good thing,... and he'll see what happens.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had agreed to resume denuclearization talks within several weeks when they met at the inter-Korean border in June,... but the talks have yet to take place.
The U.S. State Department has yet to confirm any meeting between the two sides just yet,... but hopes are high that the next meeting will lead to a positive outcome.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
