US President Joe Biden revealed Saturday that he would consider meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but only if his counterpart was "sincere" and "serious" about talks regarding the country's nuclear program.
Biden's remarks came in response to a reporter's inquiry during a joint presser with South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol about what conditions he needed to meet with Kim, saying that "it would depend on whether he was sincere and whether it was serious."
Later in the day, Biden told reporters that the US and its allies were ready for "anything North Korea does."
"We've thought through how we would respond to whatever they do. So I am not concerned," he added.
In a released joint statement from Biden and Yoon referred to North Korea's nuclear program as "a grave threat not only to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula but also the rest of Asia and the world."
It further saw the two officials call on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while stressing that the door to discussion remains open "toward a peaceful and diplomatic resolution."
Given the purported threat presented by North Korea, the two presidents stated they will begin discussions to enhance the scope and size of "combined military exercises and training on and around the Korean Peninsula."
“President Yoon and President Biden reiterate their common goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agree to further strengthen the airtight coordination to this end,” the statement reads. “The two Presidents share the view that the DPRK’s nuclear program presents a grave threat not only to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula but also the rest of Asia and the world.”
Historically, sitting US presidents have avoided meeting with North Korean leaders, but Biden's predecessor, former President Donald Trump, took the extraordinary step of meeting with Kim three times, including stepping on North Korea's soil once.
The Trump administration's nuclear negotiations with North Korea, however, eventually ended in failure. The Biden administration has stated numerous times that it is willing to negotiate to North Korea without preconditions, but Pyongyang has refused these overtures, according to reports.
Biden's Saturday comments come amid rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program and increased missile tests this year.
While Biden is in Asia, the Biden administration is reportedly concerned about a possible ballistic missile or nuclear test from North Korea. Both types of tests were a "genuine possibility" during or during Biden's first trip to the region as president, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, cited by the Hill's report this week.
This year, North Korea has conducted 16 missile tests. However, since 2017, it has not performed a nuclear test.