U.S. ON INITIATIVES AGAINST N. KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

Washington has expressed strong support for President Yoon's initiative on inter-Korean cooperation. However, it denied the possibility of easing sanctions against Pyongyang without dialogue.

[Pkg]

The U.S. State Department says it strongly supports President Yoon's proposal for inter-Korean cooperation outlined in his Liberation Day address. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a briefing that Seoul's proposition deserves credit for paving the way for serious and sustained diplomacy in line with the shared goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

[Soundbite] Ned Price(U.S. State Dept. Spokesperson)

Price stressed the importance of strong and effective relations among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan in order to promote shared interests such as national security and freedom. Price dismissed the possibility of easing international sanctions against Pyongyang, because the North does not seem to be interested in diplomacy or negotiations.

[Soundbite] Ned Price(U.S. State Dept. Spokesperson)

The State Department spokesperson once again urged Pyongyang's positive response, as diplomacy aimed at denuclearization can bring practical and pragmatic steps.