The Buzz | US envoy issues rare public criticism of N. Korean official

The top U.S. official on North Korea accused a senior North Korean nuclear negotiator of being “locked in an old way of thinking,” days after the negotiator said Pyongyang won’t resume talks with Washington because of its “hostile” policies.
The comments by Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun were a rare case of a senior U.S. official directly criticizing North Korea since the two countries launched now-stalled diplomacy on North Korea’s nuclear arsenal in 2018. The comments suggest that Washington may not be interested in resuming the diplomacy anytime soon.
“I’ve seen some recent press reporting that the North Koreans are not prepared to meet with me on this visit,” Biegun told reporters after talks with South Korean officials. “We did not request a meeting with the North Koreans. This visit is to meet with our close friends and allies, the Republic of Korea, and we had an excellent discussion.”