U.S. ready to talk with N. Korea about parallel implementation of Singapore deal: Biegun

비건 "동시적•병행적 진전 위해 北과 논의할 준비돼 있다"

America's top nuclear envoy is in Seoul,... ahead of President Trump's visit to Korea for his summit with President Moon.
Seoul's foreign ministry says... Stephen Biegun hinted at a change in tone... on denuclearization talks with the North.
For more details, let's turn to our Lee Ji-won.
The U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, says the U.S. is ready to engage in talks with North Korea to implement the Singapore agreement in a simultaneous and parallel way.
This is according to Seoul's foreign ministry in its statement on the outcome of Biegun's meeting Friday morning with Seoul's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Lee Do-hoon.
In their meeting, more than an hour long, the two reportedly exchanged views on the recent developments surrounding North Korea, and discussed the denuclearization issues their leaders will address when they meet this weekend.
Biegun reportedly said he hopes that the South Korea-U.S. summit will be an important event in terms of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
A day earlier, a director general at North Korea's foreign ministry released a statement saying that talks can only resume if Washington first comes up with what it called a "proper counterproposal."
The official also expressed dissatisfaction with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying that negotiations should be conducted with a counterpart "who has a good sense of communication."
An expert says Biegun's openness to talks is the U.S. trying to be flexible and bring out the North to the table.
"This surely is a change in stance from the Hanoi summit, when the U.S. sought a comprehensive agreement. This isn't exactly what the North asked for, though to ease sanctions in exchange for dismantling the Yeongbyeon nuclear facility. So the core issue is still there, but the U.S. is saying that it is willing to be flexible in achieving the North's denuclearization and peace and establishing diplomatic ties,... and so talks need be resumed to narrow their differences."
Biegun also met Friday afternoon with Seoul's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who is expected to have updated Biegun on inter-Korean ties, including Seoul's plans to provide 50-thousand tons of rice aid to the North.
"There's been speculation that Biegun might try to get in touch with the North Koreans at the border village of Panmunjeom before President Trump arrives in Seoul on Saturday,... but there's not much time left, so observers don't think that's a possibility any longer. Lee Ji-won Arirang News."