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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discusses the 2016 International Religious Freedom Report at a press conference on Aug. 15 (AP/Yonhap News)

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Aug. 15 that he plans to continue working toward bilateral dialogue to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, but called for a change in behavior first from Pyongyang.

Appearing at a press conference for the publication of the 2016 International Religious Freedom Annual Report at the State Department building in Washington, Tillerson was asked to assess the current situation with North Korea.

“We continue to be interested in finding a way to get to a dialogue, but that’s up to [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un],” he replied.

Responding to Kim’s remarks that he planned to observe Washington’s actions further before deciding on whether to proceed with an “enveloping strike” near Guam, Tillerson said, “I have no response to his decisions at all at this time.” The remarks from Tillerson are seen as intended to open the door for dialogue, while asking North Korea to take measures that show they are genuine in their desire for negotiations.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert reiterated [the Trump administration’s] position requiring sincere efforts from Pyongyang before any dialogue in response to a similar question at a press briefing the same day.

“[Dialogue with North Korea] is not going to happen imminently,” she said.

In connection with Kim’s remarks about waiting to see the US’s actions, Nauert was also asked if North Korea refraining from actions toward Guam could be considered a measure by Pyongyang.

“When Kim Jong-un talked about Guam, that, again, is a hypothetical of sorts,” Nauert replied.

“They would have to do a lot more,” she added.

“The Secretary [Tillerson] has said we’re not going to negotiate our way back to the negotiating table,” she stressed, adding that Pyongyang needed to “show that they are serious . . . about an effort to move toward denuclearization.”

Nauert avoided giving a detailed answer on whether an immediate cessation of provocative threats and nuclear or missile testing counted as possible signs North Korea could give, as Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis argued in an Aug. 13 joint contribution to the Wall Street Journal.

“I think I’m just going to leave it at that,” she replied.

The remarks suggest that while a position statement and concrete action from North Korea are seen as more advanced preconditions for open and official negotiations with the US, a halt to nuclear and missile testing is seen as a relatively low hurdle to clear.

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent

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