The United States said Tuesday it remained committed to talks with North Korea despite its “provocations” after leader Kim Jong Un vowed to accelerate nuclear work.
“We do remain open to engaging in diplomacy and dialogue with the DPRK” on ending its nuclear program, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“But we also have an obligation to address the recent provocations that we’ve seen from the DPRK including its two recent ICBM launches,” he told reporters.
Price said that Kim’s statement confirms “our assessment that the DPRK constitutes a threat to international peace and security and to the global non-proliferation regime.”
