On Monday, Antony Blinken, United States State Secretary, said that North Korea needs to decide whether it wants to engage diplomatically to explore ways to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Discussions intended at influencing Pyongyang to surrender its atomic weapons program have been stalled since a series of summits between Kim Jong Un, North Korean leader, and American President Biden’s predecessor, Trump, failed to yield an agreement.

Mr. Blinken stated at a news conference in London that he hopes that North Korea would take the opportunity to engage diplomatically and find ways to move forward toward the objective of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Blinken said that they’d look to perceive not only what North Korea says but what it does. He thinks it up to Pyongyang to decide whether it wishes to engage or not on that basis.

State Secretary’s comments came a day after North Korea lashed out at America in a series of statements saying recent remarks from Washington were proof of a hostile policy that required a corresponding response.

North Korea wants America to lift economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons programs

Zhang Jun, China’s United Nations Ambassador, said on May 3 that he hopes a United States review of North Korea policy emphasizes talks instead of pressure. China is a neighbor and ally of North Korea.

Zhang Jun told reporters in New York that they believe that diplomatic efforts represent the right direction based on what they have observed in recent years. Moreover, they also hope that both parties would refrain from taking confrontational and provocative actions and make additional efforts by resuming talks.

On Friday, Joe Biden’s White House said it had completed a months-long review of Pyongyang policy in which complete denuclearization of North Korea remained the goal. It stated it would explore diplomacy to that end but not seek a grand bargain with Kim Jong Un.

American President’s policy attempts to strike a middle ground between Donald Trump’s efforts and those of former U.S. President Obama, who refused serious diplomatic engagement absent any steps by Pyongyang to cut tensions.

North Korea wants America and its allies to lift economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons programs and has so far refused diplomatic pleas from the United States government.

The White House hasn’t said whether it would offer concessions to get Pyongyang to return to dialogue.

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