WASHINGTON 鈥 North Korea has not responded to behind-the-scenes diplomatic outreach since mid-February by President Joseph R. Biden鈥檚 administration, including to Pyongyang鈥檚 mission to the United Nations, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters on Saturday.
The disclosure of the so-far unsuccessful US outreach, which has not been previously reported, raises questions about how Mr. Biden will address mounting tensions with Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
It also adds a new dimension to a visit America鈥檚 top diplomat and defense secretary will make next week to South Korea and Japan, where concerns over North Korea鈥檚 nuclear arsenal are expected to be high on the agenda.
The senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered few details on the diplomatic push. But the official said there had been efforts to reach out to the North Korean government 鈥渢hrough several channels starting in mid-February, including in New York.鈥
鈥淭o date, we have not received any response from Pyongyang,鈥 the official said.
North Korea鈥檚 mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Biden administration has so far been cautious in publicly describing its approach to North Korea, saying it is carrying out a comprehensive policy review following former President Donald Trump鈥檚 unprecedented engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Mr. Trump鈥檚 efforts failed to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
The Biden administration official said it appeared there had been no active dialogue between the United States and North Korea for more than a year, including at the end of Mr. Trump鈥檚 administration, 鈥渄espite multiple attempts during that time by the United States to engage.鈥
The US official declined to speculate about how the silence from Pyongyang would impact the Biden administration鈥檚 North Korea policy review, which was expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
During his election campaign, Mr. Biden described Mr. Kim as a 鈥渢hug鈥 and said he would only meet him 鈥渙n the condition that he would agree that he would be drawing down his nuclear capacity.鈥
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held out the possibility of additional sanctions, in coordination with allies, to press North Korea to denuclearize.
Sanctions have so far failed to convince Kim to give up his nuclear weapons.
Mr. Blinken is slated to host the first face-to-face discussions between senior Biden administration and Chinese officials on Mar. 18 in Alaska. The Trump administration accused China of failing to enforce sanctions against North Korea.
A confidential UN (United Nations) report found that North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, helping fund them with some $300 million stolen through cyber hacks.
The report by independent sanctions monitors said Pyongyang 鈥減roduced fissile material, maintained nuclear facilities and upgraded its ballistic missile infrastructure鈥 while continuing to seek material and technology for those programs from abroad. 鈥 Reuters
