U.S. heeds Kim Yo-jong's statement

[Anchor]

A U.S. official has stated that they are paying close attention to the recent remarks made by Kim Yo-jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of North Korea.

He also reaffirmed that President Trump has the willingness to negotiate with North Korea, mentioning the joint statement made by the North Korean and U.S. leaders in Singapore in 2018.

First, we go to Kim Ji-sook, our correspondent in Washington.

[Report]

Seth Bailey, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said that they are closely monitoring the recent remarks by Kim Yo-jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of North Korea.

This is a response to North Korea's announcement hinting at the possibility of dialogue with the U.S.

[Seth Bailey/Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs: "We have also seen high level statements from the DPRK leadership, including recent statements from Kim Yo-jong, which we note with interest."]

Previously, Deputy Director Kim stated that they would reject any attempts to deny their status as a nuclear power and urged the U.S. to seek contact with a "new mindset."

While it was interpreted as a signal that they would not respond to denuclearization talks, it suggested that they might engage in discussions on other topics.

Bailey, who also serves as the Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, emphasized President Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue.

In particular, he mentioned the Singapore statement between Trump and Kim Jong-un in 2018, stating that they remain committed to the principles established at that time.

At that time, the two leaders prledged not only the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but also the recovery of the remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action.

There are speculations that the U.S. may contact North Korea through the issue of the return of remains.

[Seth Bailey/Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs: "The United States has made it clear to the North Koreans that we believe recovery of remains of U.S. service members is one of our highest priorities in bilateral goals."]

However, it is not yet at a level where full-fledged North Korea-U.S. dialogue can resume.

Nonetheless, given the exchange of statements interpreted as a willingness to negotiate, it is necessary to observe the trend of responses that may proceed like a ping-pong between North Korea and the U.S.

This is Kim Ji-sook reporting for KBS News from Washington.