Hillarysworld

Spoiler

SEOUL -- North Korea said Monday that it is open to new dialogue to defuse tensions over its nuclear weapons program in what appeared to be a call for direct talks with the United States.

The statement from Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry marks a rare expression of willingness to talk by a regime that has rapidly escalated tensions with a flurry of provocations in recent months, including a nuclear test and a series of missile launches.

It also suggests that the isolated communist regime thinks it has raised its stakes enough, and it's time to negotiate.

On Monday, North Korea made clear again that it won't return to six-nation nuclear talks involving China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the U.S., saying the forum seeks only to "disarm and incapacitate" the nation.

But it added, "There is a specific and reserved form of dialogue that can address the current situation."

The statement did not elaborate on the new form of dialogue. But Pyongyang has long been known to be seeking direct negotiations with Washington.

On Friday, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Sin Son Ho, also indicated the regime's interest in bilateral negotiations, saying the country is "not against a dialogue," according to Japan's Kyodo News agency.

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