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The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned the new US administration that it must avoid “causing a stench” if it wants peace.
Kim Yo Jong’s statements were reported by the state news agency KCNA.
So far, North Korea has rejected U.S. pleas for dialogue, the White House said today, as a cooldown in relations that began under then-President Donald Trump has extended to the presidency of Joe Biden.
Nuclear-armed North Korea renounced diplomacy with Trump despite the fact that he and Kim Jong Un had three high-profile summit meetings and exchanged a series of letters.
Trump had refused North Korean pleas to relax sanctions against Pyongyang unless Kim took steps to dismantle its nuclear program, which it refused to do.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters today that US officials have communicated with North Korea through various channels since Joe Biden took office nearly two months ago.
“Our goal is to reduce the risk of escalation. But to date we have not received any response,” Ms Psaki said.
He did not elaborate on the type of escalation that concerned the United States. North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017.
Ms Psaki said the administration was consulting with former US government officials who have been involved in North Korean politics from past administrations, while seeking input from its allies, Japan and South Korea.
“This follows more than a year without an active dialogue with North Korea despite multiple attempts by the United States to engage … Everyone can anticipate that there will be a continued expansion of engagement with partners and allies in the region,” he said .
A senior official in the Biden administration told Reuters on Saturday that efforts had been made to reach the North Korean government through various channels as of mid-February.
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