The leaders Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un hurl insults at each other but the US has quietly continued efforts to engage North Korea. "It has not been limited at all, both [in] frequency and substance," said the senior State Department official. Among the points that Mr Yun has made to his North Korean interlocutors is to "stop testing" nuclear bombs and missiles, the official said. 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 Mr Trump's threats against North Korea are believed to have complicated diplomatic efforts.

Source: Bangkok Post November 01, 2017 21:45 UTC