US: "Ri Son-gwon's Appearance Should Be a Trigger for Resuming Talks"

Steelwell, U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Mentions
Defense Ministry Also Emphasizes Need for Dialogue, States No Planned Changes to ROK-U.S. Joint Exercises

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] David Stilwell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, expressed hope on the 24th (local time) that the appointment of Ri Son-gwon as the new North Korean Foreign Minister would serve as a positive opportunity to resume denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. The U.S. Department of Defense also reaffirmed its intention to temporarily suspend the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises to facilitate the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue.

Assistant Secretary Stilwell made these remarks during an event hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace when asked how he evaluates the appointment of a hardliner as North Korea’s new Foreign Minister.

He stated, "I have no idea who this person is. I really don’t," and "There has been a change. I think that in itself suggests something," adding, "I hope it is something positive."

He further urged, "(North Korea) needs to change direction, come to the (negotiation) table, and engage in the discussions we promised."

Assistant Secretary Stilwell’s remarks appear to represent a unified message from the State Department. Earlier, a senior State Department official, during a briefing on the 22nd, was asked whether Ri Son-gwon’s hardliner status would make North Korea-U.S. negotiations more difficult. The official responded, "We do not have much information," but added, "We hope they (North Korea) understand the importance of dialogue as agreed in Singapore. Nothing is gained without dialogue."

On the same day, the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the temporary suspension and scale reduction of large-scale joint exercises with South Korea are intended to provide North Korea with room for negotiation and that there is no change in the current implementation policy.

Jonathan Hoffman, spokesperson for the Department of Defense, said during a briefing that there is "no update on changes" to the joint exercises adjusted and implemented last year when asked about any changes.

Referring to Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s remarks on the adjustment of the exercises, Hoffman said, "The Secretary said it was an effort to give the North Korean leadership some room to continue negotiations, and I also think that is our hope."