U.S.-North Korea talks delayed at Pyongyang's request: minister

By Lim Chang-won Posted : November 8, 2018, 12:32 Updated : November 8, 2018, 12:32

[Yonhap Photo]


SEOUL -- Talks, which were to take place this week in New York between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a North Korea official, have been put off at the request of Pyongyang, South Korea's foreign minister said, adding a new date would be set through diplomatic consultations.

Washington has informed Seoul that North Korea postponed the meeting, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday at a parliamentary committee. "I have yet to make a phone conversation with Pompeo, but we are adjusting the schedule."

Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the central committee of the Workers' Party, was to hold talks Thursday on denuclearization and a potential second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

At a White House news conference, Trump said the second summit could take place "sometime" in early 2019. "Sometime next year, I would say. Sometime early next year," he said. "We're in no rush. We're in no hurry. The sanctions are still on."

"Ongoing conversations continue to take place," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "The United States remains focused on fulfilling the commitments agreed to by President Trump and Chairman Kim at the Singapore Summit in June."
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