U.S. remains committed to diplomacy with N. Korea despite ′well founded′ skepticism: State Dept.

U.S. remains committed to diplomacy with N. Korea despite 'well founded' skepticism: State Dept.: General / 송상호 / 2023-12-12 04:52:55

US-N Korea diplomacy

▲ Matthew Miller, State Department spokesperson, speaks during a press briefing at the department in Washington on Oct. 30, 2023. (Yonhap)

US-N Korea diplomacy

U.S. remains committed to diplomacy with N. Korea despite 'well founded' skepticism: State Dept.

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- The United States will continue to pursue diplomacy with North Korea despite "well founded" skepticism over the recalcitrant regime's willingness for dialogue, a State Department official said Monday.

Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, made the remarks after Kurt Campbell, the nominee for deputy secretary of state, expressed concerns during a recent Senate confirmation hearing that Pyongyang appears to have decided it is no longer interested in diplomacy with Washington.

"I will say that we will continue to encourage diplomacy with North Korea. That has been our policy all along," Miller told a press briefing.

"But I think it's safe to say that his skepticism is well founded given that we have seen North Korea refuse to accept our offer to pursue diplomatic alternatives since the beginning of this administration," he added, referring to Campbell's remarks.

During the hearing on Thursday last week, Campbell, currently the National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, voiced skepticism over the prospects of the North's return to dialogue and stressed the need to focus "even more" on deterrence.

Campbell was apparently referring to last month's statement by Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which ruled out the possibility of the North resuming dialogue with the U.S.

Tensions flared anew after Pyongyang conducted a satellite launch, which Seoul, Washington and other countries have criticized as a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions banning any launch using ballistic missile technology.

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