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Global Geopolitical Series: North Korean officials won’t meet U.S. diplomats led by Vice President Pence during winter Olympics

North Korean athletes would be marching along with South Korean counterparts at the Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea; North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong-un's sister would meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in during and before the Olympics but North Korean officials will not be meeting the members of U.S. diplomatic squad led by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who described the North Korean regime as most oppressive and tyrannical before his travel to Asia, according to North Korea’s state broadcaster KCNA.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea on Thursday ahead of the opening ceremony in the mountain resort of Pyeongchang, just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily armed border with the reclusive North. The sister, Kim Yo Jong, and her entourage will travel by private jet to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport on Friday afternoon, North Korea informed the South.

KCNA reported citing director-general at North Korea’s foreign ministry that North Korea never begged for dialogue with the United States not it is going to in future. The agency quoted the director as saying, “Explicitly speaking, we have no intention to meet with the U.S. side during the stay in South Korea... Our delegation’s visit to South Korea is only to take part in the Olympics and hail its successful holding.”

Before arriving in Korea, Pence said that Washington is preparing to launch the most aggressive round of sanctions on the North Korean regime. Pence will meet President Moon on Thursday. On Friday, before he attends the Olympic opening ceremony, Pence will visit a memorial for 46 South Korean sailors killed in 2010 in the sinking of a warship that Seoul blamed on a North Korean torpedo attack. According to U.S. officials, no meeting is scheduled between Pence and North Korean delegates.

However, it is hard to believe that the United States would not take up this opportunity to meet with North’s delegates during the Olympics.

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