The White House said it remains "open to dialogue without any preconditions" in response to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's conditional offer to improve bilateral relations. South Korea pledged to continue supporting early resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks.
A White House official told Korean media on the 26th (local time) that "U.S. policy toward North Korea remains unchanged" while expressing willingness for unconditional dialogue. The statement reaffirms the Trump administration's fundamental principle of pursuing complete denuclearization of North Korea while signaling readiness to meet with Kim without preconditions.
"President Trump held three historic summits with Chairman Kim during his first term that stabilized the Korean Peninsula," the official added.
In a report from North Korea's 9th Workers' Party Congress released the previous day, Kim indicated Pyongyang could have good relations with Washington if the U.S. recognizes North Korea's nuclear status and withdraws its hostile policy. Diplomatic observers are watching whether U.S.-North Korea talks might materialize around President Trump's scheduled visit to China from March 31 to April 2.
Jeong Yeon-doo, head of the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Strategy Division and South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, held a press briefing at the Korean Embassy in Washington on the same day. "North Korea's message was within the expected range," Jeong said. "We will continue to support early resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue."
Jeong, who arrived in the U.S. on the 24th, met with senior State Department officials including Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno, and Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DiSombre.
A senior South Korean government official said Washington maintains its position of openness to unconditional talks but appears unprepared for concrete steps toward that goal. "We did not get the impression that the U.S. would change its denuclearization principles in dealing with North Korea," the official added.
Regarding reports of discord between South Korean and U.S. military authorities over recent air exercises in the West Sea, the official said, "U.S. government officials did not raise this issue or express concerns." After U.S. fighter jets confronted Chinese aircraft over the West Sea on the 18th and 19th, Korean media reported that U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson apologized to South Korea. USFK subsequently issued a rebuttal stating, "We do not apologize for maintaining readiness."