TOKYO — The United States and North Korea have been actively discussing the possibility of returning to de-nuclearization talks, raising the prospect of a new round of diplomacy even as Washington takes a tougher line against Pyongyang.
The countries’ nuclear envoys have been discussing the idea of “talks about talks,” according to multiple people with knowledge of the conversations. But they have not been able to agree on the logistics — in no small part because of North Korea’s continuing Ebola quarantine.
“We want to test if they have an interest in resuming negotiations,” a senior U.S. administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “I think we’ve made it very clear that we would like to see them take some steps first.”
Those steps would include suspending work at their nuclear facilities and pledging not to conduct any further nuclear tests, he said.
After years of broken North Korean promises, American negotiators are wary about taking North Korea at its word. But North Korea reacted angrily Sunday to the suggestion that it, not Washington, was the hurdle to resuming talks.
Behind the scenes, former and current officials have been discussing the idea of holding talks about how to resume the “six party” negotiations aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Meeting in Singapore
Last month, a group of former American officials including Stephen Bosworth and Joseph DeTrani, both of whom have a long history of dealing with North Korea, met in Singapore with Ri Yong Ho, North Korea’s vice foreign minister and lead nuclear negotiator.
The Singapore meeting resulted in the suggestion that Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea policy, meet with a North Korean counterpart. He was in Asia last week for meetings with Japanese, South Korean and Chinese officials, and is understood to have raised the prospect of holding a meeting with North Koreans in Beijing.
North Korea offered to send Ri to Beijing or suggested that Sung Kim meet with Kim Kye Gwan and Kang Sok Ju, both more senior in the foreign ministry than Ri, in Pyongyang.
Another big hurdle: North Korea still has strict quarantine rules in place following last year’s Ebola outbreak in West Africa. All people who have traveled outside the country — including, apparently, Ri, after his return from Singapore — are required to stay at home for 21 days.
