President Donald Trump’s administration is responding tepidly following North Korea’s expression of willingness to hold talks with the United States.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told the press that the US, South Korea and the international community “broadly agree that denuclearization must be the result of any dialogue with North Korea”.

In response to a Yonhap query on North Korea's overture, the State Department’s spokesperson Justin Higgins said the US is in close contact with the South about their unified response. He added that the improvement of relations between North and South Korea cannot advance separately from resolving the North’s nuclear program.