U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom on June 30, 2019. (Xinhua/NEWSIS)
The talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been stalled since the no-deal summit meeting between Kim Jong Un and Trump in Hanoi.
Trump announced last Tuesday he had fired his National Security Advisor John Bolton over disagreements on foreign policy issues, including the DPRK.
PYONGYANG, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday welcomed the upcoming working-level negotiation with the United States.
In a statement released by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Director General of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Foreign Ministry said the DPRK-U.S. dialogue has two options, either improve the relations or add to the hostility toward each other.
"In this sense, the upcoming working-level negotiations will be an occasion decisive of the future road of the DPRK-U.S. dialogue," the unnamed official said.
He added that the discussion of denuclearization "may be possible when threats and hurdles endangering our system security and obstructing our development are clearly removed beyond all doubt."
Last week, Pyongyang said it was willing to speak with Washington later in September through a message conveyed by KCNA.
People watch a TV live broadcast about top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)
The talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been stalled since the no-deal summit meeting between DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam in late February.
"Whether the DPRK-U.S. negotiation will be a window for a chance or an occasion to precipitate crisis is entirely up to the U.S.," the statement said.
Trump announced last Tuesday he had fired his National Security Advisor John Bolton over disagreements on foreign policy issues, including the DPRK. Bolton was known for taking a tough stance on Pyongyang, which brings hopes of reaching a deal between DPRK and the United States in the upcoming negotiations. ■
