U.S., South Korea are reportedly coordinating on North Korea talks as deadline looms


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The United States is seemingly running out of time to re-establish talks with North Korea, and South Korea says Washington is "very actively" trying to make sure that doesn't happen.
A year-end deadline for the U.S. to show more flexibility in denuclearization talks with North Korea set by Pyongyang earlier this year is fast approaching. Chung Eui-yong, a South Korean national security adviser, said Sunday that Seoul is taking the date "very seriously," adding that the government was in coordination with the United States.
But, so far, after the most recent round of talks failed in October, there hasn't been much movement. "Only if talks between high-rank officials happen and lead to substantial progress, will the third North Korea-United States summit be possible," Chung told reporters, per Reuters.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
North Korea acknowledged Friday that the window for talks was indeed closing. Pyongyang, however, did not elaborate on what would happen after the deadline, so it's unclear if there would be any chance of reviving talks at a later date. Of course, it's possible the deadline is mainly a negotiating tactic, though it sounds like Washington and Seoul would prefer not to wait and see. Read more at Reuters.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Rupert Murdoch steps aside at the empire he built
Feature The last of the old-style 'press barons' has retired. What is he leaving behind?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Net zero: the looming 'energy gap'
Talking point UK has made strides in decarbonising UK's electricity supply but government has few plans to expand capacity
By The Week Staff Published
-
Britain's gambling habit: are we dicing with serious damage?
The Explainer The UK's betting industry has become a multibillion-pound juggernaut
By The Week Staff Published
-
Inside the luxury bulletproof train taking Kim Jong Un to Russia
The Explainer The North Korean leader has continued the tradition of train travel established by his father
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs say
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign port
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
British spy chief, Wagner video suggest Prigozhin is alive and freely 'floating around'
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
The US will soon finish destroying its last chemical weapons
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
Putin and Prigozhin offer rival explanations for Wagner's brief rebellion
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
The future of the Wagner Group is murky
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published