No sign of progress on N. Korea talks yet: State Dept.

By Lee Chi-dong
   WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Yonhap)-- The United States has not seen any indication yet that North Korea is prepared for further dialogue, a Washington official said Tuesday, following a report that South Korea's chief nuclear envoy will visit Washington this week.
   State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the three-day trip by Wi Sung-lac starting on Wednesday is part of "regular" consultations between the allies on the North.
   "We have not seen signs, as yet, from North Korea that it's prepared to meet the conditions we've set forward," she said at a press briefing, when asked about a possibility of additional talks with Pyongyang in the near future.
   The North and the U.S. had rare high-level talks in July in New York on denuclearization and bilateral relations.
   Washington is apparently weighing an additional round of meetings but made clear that the North should first take goodwill steps, reportedly including the suspension of its uranium enrichment program and a moratorium on nuclear testing.
   lcd@yna.co.kr
leechidong@gmail.com
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