America's first reaction when North Korea announced its readiness for dialogue

Mr. Kim Yong-chol led the North Korean delegation to South Korea on February 25. Photo: Reuters

According to the announcement of the South Korean Presidential Office, in a one-hour meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday afternoon, February 25, Mr. Kim Yong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and a senior official in charge of inter-Korean affairs, said that Pyongyang is "sufficiently" ready to start dialogue with Washington. After the above information was released, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that the US will "consider" North Korea's proposal.

“We will see whether North Korea’s message today, in which they say they are willing to talk, represents the first steps on the path to denuclearization. At the same time, the United States and the world must continue to ensure that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs end,” Sanders said.

The US has long maintained that any talks with North Korea must focus on denuclearisation. According to Washington, Pyongyang must also make clear that it is willing to discuss the nuclear issue before sitting down with the US. But so far, the Kim Jong-un regime has insisted that its nuclear weapons development program is non-negotiable.

“The Trump administration is committed to the complete and permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The United States, Olympic host South Korea, and the international community agree that denuclearization must be the outcome of any dialogue with North Korea. The maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea no longer has nuclear weapons,” Sanders added.

According to the White House spokesman, “as President Trump has said, there will be a brighter path for North Korea if it chooses denuclearization.”

Ivanka Trump (bottom left) sits next to Kim Yong-chol (top right) at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Photo: Yonhap

Commenting on North Korea's dialogue proposal, the US State Department said it would "work closely with South Korea to develop a unified response to North Korea."

“As President Moon has said, improving relations between North Korea and South Korea cannot progress separately from resolving North Korea’s nuclear program,” Justin Higgins, a spokesman for the US State Department, told reporters.Yonhap.

The US Treasury Department on February 23 announced the latest sanctions targeting nearly 60 companies and vessels linked to North Korea in an effort to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missile programs. North Korea later criticized the sanctions package, which it considered “the strongest ever.”

Although they arrived in South Korea at the same time, Kim Yong-chol and other senior North Korean officials did not have any meetings with the US delegation. At the closing ceremony of the Olympics last night, Kim Yong-chol sat right behind Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump and head of the US delegation to South Korea this time.

Earlier, during the visit of US Vice President Mike Pence and a high-level delegation to South Korea on the occasion of the opening of the Olympics on February 9, Mr. Pence planned to meet privately with the North Korean delegation, including Ms. Kim Yo-jong - Mr. Kim Jong-un's sister. However, the meeting was canceled at the last minute after Pyongyang suddenly withdrew.