US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans canceled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday. But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, “they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,” Ayers said. “Only when denuclearization moves forward can inter-Korean relations move forward,” said Kang, adding Washington’s role is “very important” in bringing North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. North Korea has refrained from carrying out any weapons tests since late November, when it shot off its largest intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea’s Unification Ministry declined to say on Wednesday whether North Korea has been engaging in its regular winter military exercises, which usually run from December for a few months.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 21, 2018 02:48 UTC