An official with the U.S. State Department has stated once again that the U.S. will not engage in talks with North Korea for their own sake, and that there will be no aid if North Korea fails to embrace change and continues to engage in provocative acts.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Zumwalt, who specializes in Japan and Korean affairs, was testifying at a Congressional hearing in Washington, DC yesterday.
“The United States is prepared to engage constructively with North Korea, but its new leadership must understand that there will be no rewards for provocations,” he commented, adding that the U.S. finds the lack of progress “frustrating” and reaffirming U.S. concerns over the state of North Korea’s human rights record.
