North Korea has offered to hold direct talks with the US on its proposal to suspend nuclear tests

North Korea has offered to hold direct talks with the US on its proposal to suspend nuclear tests, and suggested dialogue could pave the way to changes on the Korean peninsula.
In a message passed to the US side on Friday, Pyongyang made the offer to suspend nuclear tests if the US temporarily scrapped joint military exercises in South Korea.
The US State Department rejected the tit-for-tat offer as an "implicit threat" but said it "remains open to dialogue" with Pyongyang.

                        North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Photo / AP


North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, An Myong-hun, told a news conference the offer still stands.
"We are ready, the government of the DPRK is ready, to explain its intention behind its proposal directly to the United States," said the envoy on Tuesday.

"We are ready for that, if the United States wants additional explanation about the proposal."
The envoy indicated that the talks could lead to broader engagement.
"If this proposal is put into practice this year, many things will be possible," he said.
"I can't go any further, but many things will be possible this year."
The North Korean envoy insisted that the proposal to the US was "a very meaningful and significant offer" that would create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue and co-operation on the Korean peninsula.

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Earlier on Tuesday, US officials warned that they were considering other sanctions against North Korea in retaliation for the cyber-attack on Sony, which Washington blames on Pyongyang.
North Korea's deputy ambassador again denied any involvement.
"My country has nothing to do with Sony hacking. It is nonsense," he said, adding that the US administration should provide proof of Pyongyang's wrongdoing.