SEOUL, June 17 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said he is willing to rejoin nuclear talks in July but needs to talk with the United States, a South Korea official said.
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who returned from a meeting with Kim in Pyongyang, said Kim also promised to resume military talks with Seoul to discuss tension-reduction measures.
"Chairman Kim said his country would return (to the six-nation talks) if they (the United States) recognize and respect North Korea," Chung said at the Seoul airport. Kim rules North Korea as the chairman of the National Defense Commission.
"But he said his country needs more consultations with the United States," he said. Kim also promised to comply with the anti-nuclear agreement between North and South Korea, Chung said.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the United States was looking forward to speaking to South Korean officials on the talks.
"The important point to keep in mind is that until we have a date, we don't have a date," he said.
He added: "We don't accept any preconditions to coming back to talks."
