State Dept. Highlights Trump’s Openness to Dialogue Amid North Korea’s Rejection of Denuclearization Talks

Washington: A State Department spokesperson on Tuesday underscored U.S. President Donald Trump's willingness to talk with "everyone" to promote peace, after North Korea reiterated its rejection of denuclearization talks with the United States.According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement on Tuesday (Korea time) ruling out the possibility of denuclearization talks. She noted, however, that the personal relationship between Trump and Kim is "not bad."During a regular press briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized President Trump's ongoing commitment to dialogue. "Of course, we do know, as we see now, as we saw in the first term, President's willingness to talk with everyone in order to achieve peace and prosperity and some semblance of normal life for people around the world," Bruce stated. She refrained from providing additional details and directed reporters to the White House for further information on an y potential engagement between the president and foreign leaders.Kim Yo-jong's statement described North Korea's nuclear weapons status as "irreversible," reaffirming its stance against negotiating away its nuclear program. This statement was a direct response to comments by a White House official indicating Trump's openness to engaging with the North Korean leader to achieve a "fully denuclearized" North Korea.There has been ongoing speculation that Trump may seek to renew his personal diplomacy with Kim, which previously resulted in three in-person meetings. These meetings took place in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in February 2019, and at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in June 2019.