{"id":110687,"date":"2021-03-18T02:01:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T02:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/03\/18\/north-korea-ignores-us-offer-for-talks-citing-hostile-policy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:28:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:28:44","slug":"north-korea-ignores-us-offer-for-talks-citing-hostile-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/18\/north-korea-ignores-us-offer-for-talks-citing-hostile-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea ignores US offer for talks, citing \u2018hostile policy\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEOUL, South Korea \u2014 North Korea said Thursday it will ignore a U.S. offer for talks unless it withdraws its hostile policy on the North, days after Washington said it reached out to Pyongyang through various channels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement by Choe Son Hui, the first foreign minister, came hours before the top diplomats and defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea meet in Seoul in their first joint talks in five years to discuss North Korea\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t think there is need to respond to the U.S. delaying-time trick again,\u201d Choe said in a statement carried by state media. \u201cWe have already declared our stand that no (North Korea)-U.S. contact and dialogue of any kind can be possible unless the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy toward (North Korea). Therefore, we will disregard such an attempt of the U.S. in the future, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S.-led diplomacy on North Korea\u2019s nuclear program remains stalemated for about two years because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. Experts are debating over whether the United States and its allies should settle for a deal that would freeze North Korea\u2019s nuclear activities in return for relaxing sanctions to prevent its arsenal from further growing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to abandon rapprochement deals with South Korea and warned the United States to \u201crefrain from causing a stink,\u201d while criticizing regular U.S.-South Korean military drills<\/a> that her government views as an invasion rehearsal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choe again took issue with this month\u2019s drills, saying that the United States \u201copenly started aggression-minded joint military exercises targeting us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\t