Marco Rubio Signals Openness to North Korea Talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced President Donald Trump is open to resuming talks with Kim Jong-un while establishing a trilateral Arctic partnership with Japan and South Korea.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday in Atlanta that President Donald Trump is open to resuming diplomatic talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Speaking after a G20 foreign ministers' meeting, Rubio stated that engagement is possible if Pyongyang is willing to discuss issues of concern to the United States and its allies, including South Korea. He clarified that no meetings have been scheduled and that Trump does not view such meetings as concessions.
During the G20 summit, Rubio also led the establishment of the Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership alongside foreign ministers from Japan and South Korea. The three nations signed a memorandum of cooperation to explore maritime and economic opportunities in the Pacific Arctic and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
In a State Department readout, Rubio condemned the coercive behavior of China in the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, warning that cooperation between Russia and China undermines stability in the Indo-Pacific. While the U.S. was explicit in its criticism, Japan and South Korea issued more guarded statements regarding regional coercion and attempts to unilaterally change the status quo.
