TOKYO (AP) – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said he has not ruled out the possibility of meeting with North Korean officials at the upcoming Olympics in South Korea.
“Let me say President Trump has said he always believes in talking, but I haven’t requested any meeting,” Pence said before departing Monday on a six-day Asia trip. “But we’ll see what happens.”
Pence arrived Tuesday in Japan, where he will meet with Prime Minster Shinzo Abe and U.S. service members.
The vice president’s trip will be highlighted by his stop at the Pyeongchang Games. He said no plans have been made for him to meet with any members of the North Korean delegation.
Yet both he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have conspicuously kept the door open to such an interaction, while simultaneously avoiding any suggestion that the U.S. was pushing or seeking to initiate one. That delicate balance has led to some verbal gymnastics as U.S. officials try to explain what is and isn’t in the offing.