US does not rule out meeting with North Korean officials in South Korea
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that US Vice President Mike Pence and other US officials may meet with North Korean officials next week in South Korea on the occasion of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
On February 5, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that Vice President Mike Pence and other US officials may meet with North Korean officials next week in South Korea on the occasion of attending the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
Asked if Pence would accept an invitation to meet with the North Korean delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in South Korea, Tillerson, who is currently on a trip to Peru, said the US would not rule out the possibility. Whether or not there would be an opportunity for any meeting with the North Koreans, Tillerson said.
As planned, US Vice President Mike Pence will lead the US delegation to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics and related events in PyeongChang.
Washington has said it will not seek to initiate contact with North Korea for the PyeongChang Olympics, but it wants to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to persuade the country to abandon its nuclear program.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is making every effort to "put maximum pressure" on the Pyongyang regime through sanctions to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US.
Meanwhile, on January 17, South Korea and North Korea agreed on North Korea's participation in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, which will take place from February 9-25. This is considered a move to "thaw" the relationship between North Korea and South Korea./.