North Korea has offered to take part in high-level talks on the North’s human rights issues in a meeting set to be held Tuesday in New York.
 
North Korean Ambassador to the UN Ja Song-nam told reporters that there is a need for the North to participate in the high-level meeting as the topic concerns the North’s human rights.
 
Ja said Pyongyang is waiting for Washington’s reply, adding that he believes there is no reason for the U.S. to turn down North Korea’s offer if it truly wants to resolve issues through dialogue.
 
The meeting will be chaired by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. It will be attended by foreign ministers from South Korea, Japan, and European countries as well as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al-Hussein.
 
If the North’s foreign minister, Ri Su-yong, attends the high-level meeting, it would mark the first time for the foreign ministers of the two Koreas and the U.S. to meet during the UN General Assembly period. Ri arrived in New York on Monday. He will deliver a keynote speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday.