KIM JONG-UN READY FOR ‘DIALOGUE, CONFRONTATION’ WITH U.S.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to prepare for both "dialogue and confrontation" with the administration of US President Joe Biden, state-run media reported.

It is thought to be the first time Kim has publicly expressed an eagerness to talk with the Biden administration since it came to power in January, with denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the US stalled for more than 18 months, Kyodo News reported in Tokyo.

At a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea held on Thursday, Kim "made a detailed analysis of the policy tendency of the newly emerged US administration," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim "stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to get fully prepared for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development," according to the news agency.

He "called for sharply and promptly reacting to and coping with the fast-changing situation and concentrating efforts on taking stable control of the situation on the Korean peninsula," it added.

Kim's remarks came after South Korea's Foreign Ministry said its senior officials will meet Monday with representatives of the United States and Japan to exchange views on the North.

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