Blinken urges N. Korea to take the opportunity to engage diplomatically

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (local time) urged North Korea to take the opportunity to engage diplomatically while talking about Washington’s new North Korea policies. “We’ll look to see not only what North Korea says, but what it actually does in the coming days and months,” Blinken said, suggesting that the U.S. will closely monitor North Korea’s actions and adjust the timing and way of implementing its North Korea policies.

During a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at the Group of Seven (G7) Foreign and Development Minister’s Meeting in London, Blinken said, “I hope that North Korea will take the opportunity to engage diplomatically and to see if there are ways to move forward toward the objective of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” He went on to say that the U.S. has a very clear policy that centers on diplomacy and it is up to North Korea to decide whether to engage or not on that basis.

Blinken explained once again the Biden administration’s new North Korea policy calls for a “calibrated, practical approach that is open to diplomacy with North Korea to try to make practical progress that increases security of the U.S. and its allies.” He added that to do so, the U.S. will continue to consult with its allies and partners, starting with South Korea and Japan.


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