US won’t accept N. Korea-set nuclear deadline – envoy

A senior US diplomat said on Monday that Washington won’t accept a year-end deadline set by North Korea to make concessions in stalled nuclear talks. “Let me be absolutely clear: The United States does not have a deadline,” Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, told reporters.

The envoy warned Pyongyang against “provocations,” adding that “it is time for us to do our jobs.” Biegun said: “Let’s get this done. We are here. And you know how to reach us,” AP reports.

North Korea said on Saturday that it had successfully performed an unspecified “crucial test” that will strengthen its nuclear deterrent.

Biegun, who was in Seoul for negotiations with South Korean officials, called on North Korea to sit down for talks. The US diplomat held a separate meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon’s office said that during his visit to the presidential Blue House, Biegun said the Trump administration wouldn’t give up on seeking diplomatic progress with North Korea, without giving details.