On Sunday, the United States reaffirmed its readiness for talks with North Korea over the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
In press statements this evening, John Kirby, the US National Security Council’s coordinator of strategic communications, cited the “Russia” website as saying that this (the negotiation) is being done while ensuring that “the United States also has capabilities in the region and is ready to move forward if we need it.”
Following a week in which Pyongyang’s firing of ballistic missiles caused a state of alert in Japan, he noted that the US is trying to strengthen military cooperation with South Korea and Japan to fight the threats of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “decided not to take up this offer.
The US official went on to say, “Instead, it has recently enhanced its ballistic missile programme. It is obvious that he still has aspirations to develop nuclear weapons.
“We have spoken with the North Koreans, and we want to ensure that the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is totally verifiable,” he continued.
After North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Sunday, South Korea responded by announcing that its military would improve security cooperation with the United States and Japan, including the deployment of “US strategic assets.”
The US declares its willingness to engage in talks with North Korea about disarmament.
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