US "Open to Discussing Any Topic with North Korea"

The U.S. government stated on the 17th (local time) that it is "willing to discuss any topic" with North Korea, in response to North Korea's recent statement criticizing the U.S. offer of "dialogue without preconditions" as a "ruse."

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on the same day, "The only way forward is through diplomacy."

He explained, "Dialogue without preconditions means welcoming discussions on any topic among a broad range of mutual interests," adding, "It can also include discussions on practical measures the two countries can take to address regional security situations."

So far, the Joe Biden administration has repeatedly proposed unconditional talks to North Korea, but North Korea has responded with multiple missile test launches.

Earlier, Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Chairman Kim Jong-un and vice department director of the Workers' Party, criticized the U.S. dialogue proposal as a ruse in a statement and signaled an offensive stance.

Kim said, "It is a ruse to stop what they fear," and "What the U.S. witnessed with concern a few days ago is merely the beginning of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's military offensive that has already commenced." This implied that following the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch on the 12th, North Korea will continue to raise the level of threats against the U.S.

Meanwhile, on the same day, foreign ministers of the Indo-Pacific region expressed concern over tensions on the Korean Peninsula related to North Korea's ICBM launch on the 12th by adopting a chairman's statement at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). In the chairman's statement, released three days after the ARF foreign ministers' meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia, they emphasized that "diplomatic efforts must continue to be prioritized, including creating an environment conducive to peaceful dialogue among all relevant parties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.