North Korea talks 'on disarmament, not money'

The US and North Korea are focusing on ways to resume international nuclear disarmament talks in their discussions in Germany, not on US financial restrictions levelled at Pyongyang, the state department said today.

US assistant secretary of state Christopher Hill and North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan were to begin a second day of talks in Berlin that state department spokesman Tom Casey described as “consultations and discussions focused on ensuring that we’re properly prepared for the next round” of negotiations involving North Korea, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US.