Pyongyang: Lift sanctions and we’ll talk

North Korea has demanded the lifting of United Nations sanctions and the end of US-South Korea military drills as conditions for resuming talks meant to defuse tension on the Korean Peninsula.

The US says it is prepared to talk to the North but Pyongyang must first bring down tensions stoked by its threats of nuclear conflict, and honour previous disarmament agreements.

The statement said the US must also withdraw all nuclear weapons assets from South Korea before talks can resume. It said South Korea must stop all anti-North Korea talks.