A pro-North Korean newspaper in Japan said Thursday that the United States should create the right conditions if it wants talks with the North, claiming Pyongyang never begged for dialogue with the US.
The possibility of talks between Washington and Pyongyang surfaced after a senior North Korean official, Kim Yong-chol, said during meetings with South Korean officials earlier this week that Pyongyang is willing to hold talks with the US.
US President Donald Trump said in response that talks are possible only under the right conditions.
(Yonhap)
"If talks are possible only under the right conditions just as Trump said, the US should create those conditions," the Choson Sinbo newspaper said in an article.
The paper also accused the US of misleading the international community to thinking that the North is begging for talks after giving in to sanctions and pressure.
"The reality is completely different," the paper said. "Trump should explore ways to hold talks with North Korea if he wants to avoid armed conflicts with the nuclear-armed North."
The paper also insisted that the North, which it said has perfected nuclear armament, is ready to respond to whatever choice Trump makes, and therefore is "not thirsty" for talks with the US.
"The Trump administration should keep in mind that unless it makes the decision to give up its reckless hostile policy, it won't be given a dialogue opportunity," the paper said.(Yonhap)
