The White House insists it will not negotiate if North Korea does not improve its behavior, even though the US Secretary of State earlier said Washington was ready to negotiate.
"As North Korea has tried missiles, it is now clearly not the time for negotiations," Reuters quoted a White House Security Council spokesman as saying on Dec. 13.
According to the official, the United States will only negotiate with North Korea if Pyongyang "fundamentally improves their behavior".
The comment came shortly after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Dec. 12 that the United States was "ready to dialogue whenever the North wants dialogue" and "no prerequisites".
Heather Nauert, a spokesman for the State Department, said the first thing needed was a "quiet period," which North Korea suspends all tests so dialogue can begin, but not for how long. .
Nauert also emphasized that Tillerson did not set up a new policy on North Korea. The United States has often asked North Korea to accept that every negotiation is about the removal of Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal.
North Korea's Ambassador to South Korea on Monday said Pyongyang would negotiate with Washington if conditions were met but did not specify. North Korea has said it was not interested in negotiating with the United States until Pyongyang developed the ability to strike Washington with nuclear missiles.
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