N.Korea willing to meet with US if conditions right

A senior North Korean diplomat reportedly said on Saturday that Pyongyang would engage in talks with the US if conditions were right.

A senior North Korean diplomat said dialogue with the Trump administration was possible following a meeting with ex-US government officials in Norway.

Choe Sun-hui, director general for North American affairs at North Korea's foreign ministry, made the comment to reporters in Beijing, Yonhap reported Saturday.

Tensions with North Korea and the US have increased drastically in recent weeks as Congress voted overwhelmingly to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang for continued missile test launches despite several warnings.

Choe, who has extensive experience working on high-level talks with the USA, did not specify what conditions would be necessary for talks to take place.

Choe was part of a North Korean delegation that recently met with a group of American experts in Oslo, Norway, Yonhap reported.

DiMaggio is known as an Iran specialist well-versed in the Obama administration's nuclear talks with the Middle Eastern nation.

When asked what she discussed with Pickering, Choe answered: "I met Pickering and I will discuss it when given the opportunity in the future".

This week's meeting took place amid a let-up in military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

When asked whether Pyongyang is preparing to hold dialogue with the South's new government, Choe replied: "We will see".

A source with knowledge of the latest meeting said at least one former U.S. government official took part but the United States administration was not involved.

South Korea's Moon, elected this week on a platform of a moderate approach to North Korea, has said he would be willing to go to Pyongyang under the right circumstances and said dialogue must be used in parallel with sanctions to resolve the problem over North Korea's weapons.