US declares readiness to negotiate with North Korea

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on August 27 that Washington is ready to negotiate and seek a peaceful solution with North Korea, despite Pyongyang's provocative actions when it launched three ballistic missiles last week.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Photo: Reuters

“The launch of any ballistic missile is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. We view this as a provocative move against the United States and our allies,” he said.Yonhapquoted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying in an interview withFox NewsAugust 27

“We will continue the peaceful pressure campaign that I have said, including working with our allies and working with China, to see if we can bring Pyongyang to the table to begin a dialogue about a different future for the Korean Peninsula and for North Korea,” Secretary Tillerson added.

The US Secretary of State's statement came after North Korea launched three missiles into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. While South Korea said North Korea used a multiple rocket launcher system to launch the latest test, the US said the three objects launched by Pyongyang were short-range ballistic missiles.

According to Mr. Tillerson, the launch of the three missiles shows that Pyongyang is not yet ready to give up its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

“We want the Kim Jong-un regime to understand that there is another path for him to take. The international community has been unanimous in sending a message that no one wants to see a nuclear-armed Korean peninsula. We still hope to have the opportunity to cooperate with them,” Mr. Tillerson emphasized.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State said that North Korea had shown “restraint” since the UN Security Council passed a sanctions resolution on August 5 to deter Pyongyang after it launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also declared that leader Kim Jong-un had “started to respect the US”.

According to Dan Tri