North Korea signals talks only if US accepts nuclear status: Ex-diplomat

ISTANBUL

North Korea could resume dialogue with Washington, but only if recognized as a permanent nuclear power, former US diplomat Ned Price said, according to NK News on Friday.

Speaking at an online forum hosted by the Institute for Corean-American Studies, Price cited recent remarks from Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, as a "notable shift" in Pyongyang’s diplomatic posture.

Last week, she suggested talks could happen if the US abandoned its denuclearization demands.

Price, a former US State Department spokesperson, noted that North Korea once left the door open to disarmament, but now insists on nuclear recognition as a precondition.

He questioned whether President Donald Trump would accept such terms, but said his administration’s focus on "optics over substance" could make it possible.

Seth Bailey, acting deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s East Asia bureau, also acknowledged Kim’s statement, stressing that Washington is monitoring developments closely.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry reaffirmed that "South Korea and the US share the position that they are open to dialogue with North Korea" for peace on the peninsula.

Price also emphasized the "sacrosanct" US-South Korea alliance, while warning against unilateral Chinese moves in the Taiwan Strait.

His comments come as Washington weighs adjustments to its regional military posture and Trump presses allies to boost defense spending.