Anchor: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed Washington's strategy of engaging North Korea in diplomacy and dialogue in an effort to attain the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, saying that the ball is now in Pyongyang's court. Blinken appeared in an interview on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, echoing the joint statement issued by U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in after their first summit on Friday.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says there is no "grand bargain" prepared in denuclearizing North Korea. 

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (May 23, ABC’s This Week)] 
"I don't think there's going to be a grand bargain where this gets resolved in one fell swoop."

Appearing on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, the top diplomat was asked to clarify the Biden administration’s position on nuclear missile threats from the reclusive North. 

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (May 23, ABC’s This Week)]
"... what President Biden determined was the best chance we have to achieve the objective of the total denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is to engage diplomatically with North Korea on a deliberate, calibrated approach where we seek to make progress toward that goal... "
"We're waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage. The ball's in their court."

The comments came in the wake of the first summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden last week at the White House. 

[Sound bite: US President Joe Biden (May 21 joint news conference)] 
"That goal is and remains complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We want to make practical progress and increase security in the United States, for the United States and our allies. Now we've closely studied what others have tried and what worked and what hasn't worked. And, you know, we're under no illusions how difficult this is. None whatsoever."

[Sound bite: President Moon Jae-in (Korean-English translation/May 21 joint news conference)]
"... the Biden administration concluded its DPRK policy review, building on past agreements including the Singapore joint statement, while taking a calibrated and practical approach to seeking diplomacy with North Korea. It is indeed a welcome direction of the Biden administration's North Korea policy."

Blinken said Washington is waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage and that the ball is in their court now.

But critics, including former South Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun, argue that Pyongyang needs more security assurances to resume negotiations in a third country.

[Sound bite: former S. Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun (Korean-English translation)]
"Now, North Korea will wait and watch as there was no message suggesting that the U.S. will withdraw hostile policies. The U.S. state secretary says that the ball is on the North Korean side of the court, but that's only the U.S.' point of view. From my perspective, the U.S. tried to send the ball to the North Korean side but it couldn't pass the wall, which calls for the withdrawal of hostile policies, and it's dropped again on the U.S. side. Only when the U.S. provides a clear message in this regard, will the North positively respond to a contact in a third country."

Biden appointed Sung Kim, former U.S. representative to the now-defunct six party talks, as his special envoy to North Korea. Now it remains to be seen what kind of calibrated steps the former ambassador to South Korea will take down the road.  
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.