(AP Photo)WASHINGTON: The United States is quietly pursuing direct diplomacy with North Korea, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday, despite US President Donald Trump's public assertion that such talks are a waste of time. Among the points that Yun has made to his North Korean interlocutors is to "stop testing" nuclear bombs and missiles, the official said. Speaking at the United Nations on Sept 19, Trump vowed to "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatened the United States or its allies, raising anxieties about the possibility of military conflict. The Trump administration has demanded North Korea release three other US citizens: missionary Kim Dong Chul and academics Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song. But Trump's threats against North Korea are believed to have complicated diplomatic efforts.

Source: Bangkok Post November 01, 2017 08:24 UTC