NKorea envoy seeks parallel talks on nukes, peace if sanctions are lifted

NKorea envoy seeks parallel talks on nukes, peace

NEW YORK — North Korea’s envoy to the United Nations says his nation is willing to conduct parallel talks on its nuclear program and on formally ending the Korean War, but only if all sanctions against it are lifted.

Ambassador Sin Son Ho on Tuesday described U.S. and international sanctions as “an expression of distrust” that must be put aside before the North will rejoin talks to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons that have involved the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

He said it is impossible to start peace talks to formally end the Korean War without first ending all sanctions.

South Korea and the U.S. already have rejected a similar proposal outlined in a statement by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.