Following months of tension marked by a nuclear test, a video about destroying the United States set to “We Are the World,” war games, missile brandishing and launches, and basketball diplomacy, North Korea has proposed “senior-level talks” with American officials. On Sunday, the National Defense Commission called for “broad and in-depth discussions” about defusing “military tensions” with the United States and South Korea, as well as the possibility of mutual denuclearization. Pyongyang politely offered to let Washington select the time and place for the meeting, though the statement also said, “If the U.S. is truly interested in securing regional peace and safety and easing tensions, it should not mention of preconditions for the talks.”
National Security spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden responded by saying, “Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans,” though those negotiations would be contingent on North Korea “living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolutions.” She added, “We will judge North Korea by its actions, and not its words and look forward to seeing steps that show North Korea is ready to abide by its commitments and obligations.”
Meanwhile, Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korean studies professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University, was more blunt in his skepticism. According to what Kim told the New York Times, the offer does not represent “any fundamental change in the North Korean position.” Instead, he said it looks like a dig at South Korea, with whom they canceled nuclear talks last week over a dispute about the ranks of the delegates attending the meeting: “With Sunday’s overture toward Washington, North Korea was telling the South, Professor Kim said, that if Seoul did not engage in discussions, Pyongyang would try to go around it and talk directly with Washington.” Sneaky, but possibly not sneaky enough.
