U.S., North Korea to reopen nuclear talks

After a monthslong hiatus, diplomats from North Korea and the United States will sit down to negotiate this weekend at an undisclosed location. In February, the two sides halted all talks about North Korea ending its nuclear weapons program after an unsuccessful summit between U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam.

What prompted the change? Last month, North Korea praised Washington’s plans to seek an unspecified “new method” in the negotiations. The country has pushed for eased economic sanctions, but U.S. officials have said denuclearization must come first or the move could eventually subsidize the North’s nuclear buildup. In a historic meeting on June 30, Trump greeted Kim at the heavily guarded Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift on how the February talks ended.