North Korea to hold working-level nuclear talks with US on Saturday

rth Korea and US will hold working-level nuclear talks on Saturday, Pyongyang said, signalling resumption of dialogue that has been effectively stalled since collapse of a summit in February. two sides agreed to have "preliminary contact" on October 4 and hold negotiations following day, rth's vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui said in a statement carried by official Korean Central News ncy.

"It is my expectation that working-level negotiations would accelerate positive development of DPRK-US relations," she ded without disclosing a venue.

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Negotiations between Pyongyang and DC

US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus later confirmed talks, which she said would happen "within next week". Negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have been gridlocked since a second summit between rth Korea's Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in February ended without a deal. two agreed to restart dialogue during an impromptu meeting at Demilitarized Zone dividing two Koreas in June, but rth's anger at a US refusal to cancel joint military deals with South Korea put process on hold.

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"New method"

Relations thawed last month after Trump fired his hawkish national security visor John Bolton, who Pyongyang h repeatedly deunced as a warmonger. rth Korea's chief negotiator also responded positively to Trump's suggestion that two sides try a "new method" of approaching ir discussions. Trump h criticized Bolton's suggestion of "Libyan model" for rth Korea, a reference to a denuclearisation deal with African nation's former dictator Muammar Gdafi -- who was killed after being deposed in 2011. Pyongyang h bristled at that comment, which Trump said: "set us back very bly". Despite gridlock, Pyongyang has continued to praise Trump, calling him "bold" and "wise". Analysts say Bolton's dismissal from White House could have helped Pyongyang's decision to return to table. South Korea's presidential Blue House welcomed Tuesday's anuncement.

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"We hope to see realization of practical steps towards permanent peace regime and complete denuclearisation of Korean peninsula through upcoming talks," said spokeswoman Ko Min-jung. anuncement on new talks could be an "indication" that two sides have narrowed ir differences behind scenes, said Koh Yu-hwan, professor of rth Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul. " rth has demanded security guarantees in return for denuclearisation measures and called on US to come up with 'new calculation', he said. "Consensus between two might have been reached regarding matter in le-up to Tuesday anuncement," he ded.

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