US President Joe Biden said in Seoul today that he is ready for a possible nuclear test by North Korea, but reaffirmed his openness to dialogue in a message to Kim Jong-un before leaving for Japan.
“We are ready for anything North Korea can do,” he assured, saying he was not worried about a possible nuclear test.
When asked by a journalist if he had a message for his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un, the US president replied succinctly: “Good morning. Period,” in a way to signal that Washington remains open to dialogue. with North Korea, even in the absence of reciprocity.
Negotiations with Pyongyang stalled after a 2019 summit between Kim and then US President Donald Trump.
Biden left South Korea early this morning for Japan, another great ally of the United States in the region and the second leg of his first tour of Asia as president.
In Seoul, he met his South Korean colleague Yoon Suk-yeol, a pro-American conservative who came to power in early May.
The heads of the two states agreed to intensify joint military exercises to counter the actions of Kim Jong-un.
