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Seoul Official: N. Korea, US Will Not Return to Past After Making Progress

News2019-03-18
Seoul Official: N. Korea, US Will Not Return to Past After Making Progress

A senior official at the presidential office said North Korea and the U.S. have made too much progress over the past year in their nuclear talks to return to where they were before negotiations started.

The official told reporters on Sunday that in spite of the collapse of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, the two nations will not go back to the days of conflict and confrontation, adding that both sides have made too much progress to return to the past. 

According to the official, both sides have expressed their intent to continue negotiations and diplomacy, citing recent statements by North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun.

The official said Seoul will engage in dialogue with Pyongyang to help North Korea and the U.S. resume talks shortly.

The official added it is necessary to reconsider the "all-or-nothing" strategy in dealing with North Korea, which appears to contradict Washington's push for a "big deal" in nuclear talks, while Pyongyang has been seeking a phased approach to its denuclearization process.

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