US says it won’t accept North Korea-set nuclear deadline

South Korean army soldiers standing guard at the Unification Bridge, which leads to the Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone in Paju, South Korea. US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said Monday that Washington won't accept a year-end deadline set by North Korea to make concessions in stalled nuclear talks and urged Pyongyang to return to a negotiating table immediately. - AP

SEOUL: A senior US diplomat said on Monday (Dec 16) that Washington won’t accept a year-end deadline set by North Korea to make concessions in stalled nuclear talks and urged Pyongyang to return to a negotiating table immediately.

"On this point, let me be absolutely clear: The United States does not have a deadline,” Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, told reporters. "We are fully aware of the strong potential for North Korea to conduct a major provocation in the days ahead. To say the least, such an action will be most unhelpful in achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”