Kim Jong Un's North Korea Not Interested In Talks With US, But Washington Says Engagement 'Our Policy All Along'

Despite a growing reluctance surrounding North Korea’s readiness for dialogue, the U.S. remains devoted to pursuing diplomatic talks with the East Asian nation, a State Department official has confirmed.

What Happened: Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday that Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, addressed recent statements made by Deputy Secretary of State nominee, Kurt Campbell. Campbell expressed reservations about North Korea’s supposed lack of interest in diplomatic engagement with the U.S at his Senate confirmation hearing.

Miller said during a press briefing, “We will continue to encourage diplomacy with North Korea. That has been our policy all along.”

He also recognized that Campbell’s skepticism “is well founded” given North Korea’s consistent denial of the diplomatic alternatives proposed by the present U.S. administration.

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Why It Matters: Campbell, also the coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs at the National Security Council, underscored the necessity to concentrate “even more” on deterrence during his hearing last week. This comes on the heels of last month’s declaration by Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissing the idea of resuming dialogue with the U.S.

Campbell stated that North Korea has rebuffed all efforts from the U.S. to hold discussions about the former’s progress in missile and nuclear programs.

The situation is further compounded by North Korea’s recent satellite launch, which has been criticized by Seoul, Washington, and other nations as a breach of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting ballistic missile technology use.

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