16 December
The US special representative for North Korea says Washington does not have a deadline for talks with Pyongyang.
Stephen Biegun spoke to reporters in Seoul on Monday He was joined by South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Lee Do-hoon.
Biegun said the United States does not have a deadline, but it wants to fulfill the commitments made by President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at last year's historic summit meeting.
He urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table, saying, "It's time for us to do our jobs. Let's get this done.
We are here, and you know how to reach us."
Biegun expressed displeasure at the recent statements by senior North Korean officials who criticized the US and other parties.
He said they were "regrettable, hostile, and unnecessary."
North Korea has unilaterally declared an end-of-the-year deadline for the United States to make concessions to break the impasse in the denuclearization talks.
Biegun is scheduled to leave South Korea on Tuesday.
Attention is focused on whether he will meet with the North Korean side in the truce village of Panmunjom or another location.
-NHK
