North Korea on Tuesday repeated it has no immediate intent to resume dialogue with the United States hours before U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun was to arrive in South Korea for discussions on the stalled nuclear diplomacy.
In a statement released through Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, senior North Korean foreign ministry official Kwon Jong Gun also ridiculed South Korea's "nonsensical" calls for revived negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang when it has lost its relevance as a mediator.
The State Department said Biegun, who is also President Donald Trump's special representative for North Korea, during his meetings with officials in South Korea and Japan this week will discuss allied cooperation on a range of issues, including the "final, fully verified denuclearization" of North Korea.