A senior Korean government official, regarding North Korea issues, predicted, "There will likely be new developments within a few days."
On the 5th (local time), the official met with the Korean press corps in Washington, D.C., and said this, adding, "It's not something grand, but a gesture of sincerity that could serve as a starting point for progress in relations with North Korea."
However, on the possibility of U.S.-North Korea talks, the official said, "North Korea's position that it will not talk with the United States is firm, and it seems we still need to watch a bit longer."
The official also said that on the 3rd, during the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting between Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary Rubio briefed Minister Cho on U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to China in April.
At the meeting, Minister Cho asked Secretary Rubio for U.S. cooperation, saying, "Our country is also working to bring North Korea to the table, taking President Trump's visit to China as an opportunity."
Minister Cho also said at a roundtable held the same day at the Korean Embassy in the United States, "Regarding the North Korea issue, we agreed to continue close communication and coordination between South Korea and the United States," adding, "I shared assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula with Secretary Rubio and discussed ways to open the door to dialogue with North Korea."