Seoul voices hope for resumption of N Korea-US talks despite Pyongyang's warning
Last update: 17/07/2019
SEOUL, July 17 (Bernama) -- South Korea voiced hope Wednesday that the United States and North Korea will hold working-level talks at an earlier date as agreed, despite the North's warning a day earlier that joint military drills by Seoul and Washington could affect the process, Yonhap news agency reported, quoting the South Korean unification ministry.
"The government expects that the North and the United States (US) will hold their working-level talks at an earlier date and produce practical progress in their denuclearisation negotiation," Lee Sang Min, the unification ministry's spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.
"We will closely monitor developments in the North going forward," he added, answering a question about the government's response to Pyongyang's warning a day earlier.
On Tuesday, North Korea blasted the US for seeking to hold the "19-2 Dong Maeng" drill, calling it a war rehearsal and warning that it "would affect the North Korea-US working-level talks.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to resume working-level nuclear talks within a few weeks when they held a surprise meeting on June 30 at the inter-Korean border.
