(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 7-10)
By Chang Dong-woo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump remains open to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if Pyongyang is willing to discuss issues of concern to Washington and its allies, but no meeting has been scheduled, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday.
Rubio made the remarks during a press conference following a Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta.
"I think the president's perspective is, if North Korea and Kim Jong-un is prepared to talk with the United States about issues that are of concern to us and of concern to our allies, like South Korea, he would be open to doing it," Rubio said.
"Nothing has been scheduled. I do not have anything to announce in regards to that today," he added.
His remarks came amid persistent speculations over the possibility of renewed diplomacy between Trump and Kim, who held three meetings during Trump's first presidential term.
The comments also followed trilateral talks among Rubio and his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Atlanta on Friday, during which the three top diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
"The president doesn't view talks, doesn't view meeting with someone as a concession." Rubio said. "I know in traditional foreign policy, meeting with someone or inviting someone to something is viewed as a concession that somehow legitimizes them."
Asked of recent U.S. visa refusal or delay cases involving South Korean legislators, Rubio said the two countries will "work through" the issue on a bilateral basis.
"I think there was one particular visa individual, that there was an issue about regarding behavior, perhaps a couple decades ago. But we'll work through that at a bilateral basis," the secretary said.
Rep. Jin Sung-joon of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party (DP) said he has been issued a U.S. visa for a trip to the U.S. Pacific Command, days after he said his application was rejected. Jin's initial visa rejection followed a similar case involving Rep. Jung Chung-rae, former chairman of the DP, earlier this month.
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