North Korea has said it does not hesitate to talk to Washington and has denounced upcoming joint US-South Korean military exercises, threatening retaliation if Washington moves ahead with its plans. At the same time, however, North Korea reiterated its intention to take part in talks with the United States, but without conditions.
The state-run KCNA news agency quoted a State Department spokesman as saying: "We will not beg for dialogue, nor will we avoid the military option invoked by the United States." A statement from North Korea said, "North Korea will face the United States" if joint military exercises are held.
The Winter Olympics in Pyongyang, South Korea, gave a new impetus to relations between the two countries of the peninsula, after a year of ongoing tensions over Pyongyang's missile tests and challenges.