North Korean Officials Return To DMZ Joint Liaison Office

SCMP/Reuters: North Korean officials return to inter-Korean liaison office days after US President Donald Trump’s decision not to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang

* Days after US President Donald Trump opted not to impose extra sanctions on North Korea, Pyongyang has reversed a decision to pull its staff from an inter-Korean liaison office
* The continued presence of North Koreans at the liaison office suggested Pyongyang’s satisfaction over Trump’s decision to hold off on more sanctions, said analysts

Days after US President Donald Trump opted not to impose extra sanctions on North Korea, Pyongyang has reversed a decision to pull its entire staff from an inter-Korean liaison office.

North Korean officials on Monday returned to work at the office in the northern city of Kaesong, after the US on Thursday imposed the first new sanctions on Pyongyang since the collapse of the second Trump-Kim summit.

However, Trump on Friday said he ordered the withdrawal of new large-scale sanctions on North Korea, a move experts said could be an effort to defuse tensions or signalling that the “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign on Pyongyang was not going to get any stronger.

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Update #1: North Korean officials return to DMZ joint liaison office, days after withdrawing (CNN)
Update #2: Seoul says some North Korean officials back at liaison office (CBC/AP)

WNU Editor: The talks continue .... US envoy to North Korea arrives in Beijing to discuss ‘coordination on policies’ (SCMP).