US still open to talks with N.Korea after missile tests

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S. on Friday reiterated its readiness for dialogue with North Korea despite the latter holding massive defense drills twice since last week, media reports said.

In a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun said in Seoul: “The door remains open for North Korea to return to nuclear negotiations”, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Pyongyang test fired “missile launches” twice since last weekend amid security tensions with South Korea and the U.S.

It was the second time U.S. repeated its dialogue message in less than a week.

After last weekend’s missile tests, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "We still have every intention of negotiating a good resolution with North Korea to get them to denuclearize."

“While assessing [the current point] as a very crucial juncture to continue communication and cooperation between the South and the U.S., Representative Biegun said that the door for North Korea's return to negotiations remains open,” Yonhap cited a statement by South Korean Foreign Ministry.

- South stresses dialogue with North, US for full denuclearization

Kang, for her part said, that the North's launches on Thursday would not be helpful at all for efforts to improve inter-Korean ties and reduce military tension.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry statement also said: “(Kang) stressed that it is important to have serious dialogue among the South, North and the U.S. for the complete denuclearization [of the peninsula] and the establishment of a lasting peace.

Meanwhile, Korean Central News Agency of Pyongyang reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “oversaw strike drill of various long-range strike means” on Thursday.

North Korea held drills amid an impasse on denuclearization dialogue with U.S. since last February. South expressed its reservations calling on Pyongyang to halt escalation of military tensions.

The latest developments came amid Seoul's plans to provide food aid to Pyongyang which drawn support from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim telling military on Thursday: “[There is] need to further increase the capability of the defense units in the forefront area and on the western front to carry out combat tasks and keep full combat posture to cope with any emergency as required by the prevailing situation and in keeping with the Party's strategic intention.”