North Korea cancels inter-Korean talks at the last minute; Pyongyang proposes high-level bilateral dialogue with Washington
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    • North Korea, on June 11, cancelled the planned inter-Korea dialogue which was scheduled to be held the next day. North Korea cited irreconcilable differences with South Korea over the level of their delegation as the main reason behind the collapse of the talk. It is worth noting that the talks, if held, would have been the first high-level government talks between the two Koreas since 2007. 1

    North Korea, on June 16, proposed a high-level dialogue with the US over issues such as military tensions in the Korean Peninsula, a peace treaty and a nuclear-free world order. Pyongyang also said that Washington could set the date and venue of the dialogue at the latter’s own convenience.2 The US, however, remains non-committal on this issue while stating that it wants to have a ‘credible negotiation’ with the North. The White House has also indicated that Washington would judge the North by “its actions and not its words”. 3

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