The U.S. State Department has effectively expressed its support of possible dialogue between North Korea and Japan, saying that the U.S. has been very clear about the importance of dialogue and diplomacy with the North. 

A spokesperson for the department issued the statement in response to an inquiry by a South Korean media outlet regarding the recent positive atmosphere between Tokyo and Pyongyang. 

The spokesperson, however, told the media outlet to contact the Japanese government regarding reports on diplomatic engagement between North Korea and Japan. 

Jung Pak, the department’s senior official handling North Korea, reportedly also expressed U.S. approval of Japan’s efforts to engage with North Korea. According to Kyodo News, Pak said that the U.S. supports any kind of diplomacy and dialogue with North Korea after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, hinted at a possible visit to Pyongyang by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

Mira Rapp-Hooper, special assistant to the president and senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council at the White House, said in a forum on Thursday that the U.S. supports allies’ engagement with North Korea. 

The U.S. appears to be expressing cautious support as the North’s approach to Japan may be aimed at loosening the solidarity of trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, but communication between Pyongyang and Tokyo could lower tensions around the Korean Peninsula and create a positive atmosphere for dialogue.