In a highly unusual move, North Korea on July 16 issued double foreign ministry pronouncements that tied “19-2 Dong Maeng,” the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises planned for August, to prospects for U.S.-DPRK diplomacy, most immediately the resumption of working-level talks.

The pronouncements were released just one day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s interview, where he said he expected Pyongyang to present “ideas that they didn’t have the first time” at the next working-level talks. 

These are the highest-level pronouncements Pyongyang has issued on the subject since North