US Asked DPRK to Change Negotiator in Denuclearization Talks - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Washington has asked Pyongyang to change its chief negotiator in the denuclearization talks, Kim Yong Chol, who is the vice chairman of the Central Committee of the North Korean ruling Workers’ Party, for Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho amid the deadlock in the negotiations, media reported on Thursday.

"There was under-the-table contact before and after the North-U.S. high-level talks planned for Nov. 8 in New York … Around this time, the United States wanted North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho as its dialogue partner [rather than Kim]," an official familiar with the Pyongyang-Washington talks told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Washington had not explained the reason behind its request, the outlet added, noting that the November meeting had been cancelled and was yet to be rescheduled.

"Kim has experience negotiating with South Korea, but he has been largely hostile, as he is an expert in military talks using straightforward speech. Because of this, the United States may have experienced something similar in its negotiations with him," the official argued.

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US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have expressed their commitment for the full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at their historic summit in Singapore in June. Since then, the two sides have been engaged in talks on the issue.