March 22, 2018

SEOUL -- North Korea has broken its silence on the diplomatic thaw with Washington and Seoul, saying it is driving the "peace offensive" and rejecting suggestions that sanctions forced it to the negotiating table.

The commentary from the state-run KCNA news agency came with a rapid rapprochement on the Korean peninsula under way, after a period of heightened tensions stoked by missile and nuclear tests.

But as diplomats scurry to arrange two proposed summits - North-South talks followed by a face-to-face meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Pyongyang leader Kim Jong Un - the North's silence had raised concerns over its intentions.

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http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/pyongyang-denies-sanctions-prompted-diplomatic-thaw