US: North Korea Sought then Canceled a Meeting With Pence at the Olympics

The Trump administration revealed on Tuesday that Vice President Mike Pence was all set to hold a history-making meeting with North Korean officials during the Winter Olympics but it was Kim Jong Un’s government which canceled at the last minute.

The vice president’s office revealed on Tuesday that it was North Korea that “dangled a meeting” with Pence with the hopes that by doing so would inspire Pence to ease up on the North. But it was North Korea which bailed out in the end for the meeting it initially sought. The decision of Kim’s regime most likely came after it became clear that Pence would remain firm and consistent with the U.S. stance even if a meeting did occur.

The State Department also stressed that while Pence was willing to meet with North Korean officials, the Vice President would have still insisted to “drive home the necessity of North Korea abandoning its illicit ballistic missile and nuclear programs.”

Pence was in Pyeongchang, South Korea two weeks ago during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics to lead the U.S. delegation. There was a dramatic speculation that the representatives of the two nations would finally sit down and talk, after relations between the two nations dramatically worsened last year following Pyongyang’s nuclear arms aggression.

Nick Ayers, Pence’s chief of staff said the planned meeting would still have included an “uncompromising message” delivered by Pence regarding the “maximum pressure campaign” the Trump adminsitration is mounting in an attempt to deter North Korea from proceeding with its nuclear weapon.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said: “We regret their failure to seize this opportunity. Ayers thinks that Pence’s strong stance was the reason for the North Koreans to back out.

North Korea has not responded yet to Washington’s revelation, although its officials had said previously that they “had no interest or intention of meeting with Pence in Pyeongchang during the games."

The Goldwater earlier today also reported that South Korea meanwhile is preparing a royal welcome for Ivanka Trump for the closing part of the Winter Olympics, in the hopes of getting her to egg her father, President Trump to go on a diplomatic visit to North Korea.

<b>Related story:</b> <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/18874-South-Korea-Prepares-Royal-Welcome-For-Ivanka-Trump">South Korea Prepares Royal Welcome For Ivanka Trump</a>

Source: http://wfla.com/2018/02/20/us-says-north-korea-canceled-planned-meeting-with-vp-pence/