Washington-based analyst monitoring North Korea on Tuesday said the Kim Jong Un regime has expressed disinterest in engaging in nuclear talks with the U.S. despite Washington repeatedly making efforts.
What Happened: According to Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNBC that “We can’t simply assume that because the United States wants to talk, North Korea will come to the table.”
“The problem right now is that North Korea is not picking up the phone, answering the door, and is showing no interest through a variety of different interlocutors that they are willing to come back to talk [about] their nuclear program right now,” he said.
Why It Matters: This comes amidst a series of missile tests by North Korea, including the recent launch of a long-range ballistic missile, likely its developmental Hwasong-18 ICBM, which is more difficult to detect or intercept than the liquid-fuel ones
The U.S. attempts to engage North Korea in nuclear talks have been met with resistance, with North Korea not responding to Washington’s offers of diplomacy, both publicly and privately.
The White House also called Kim for serious negotiations after condemning its recent missile tests as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
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