North Korea may be signaling a willingness to reopen talks with the United States — but only if Washington recognizes it as a permanent nuclear weapons state — according to former U.S. Deputy to the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Ned Price, who cited recent remarks from Kim Yo Jong as a notable shift in Pyongyang’s diplomatic messaging.

At an online symposium organized by the Institute for Corean-American Studies, Price noted a shift in Pyongyang’s stance, citing the recent comments from Kim Jong Un’s sister. In a statement last week, she suggested that Pyongyang is open to dialogue with Washington, but only if the U.S. acknowledges North Korea as a nuclear state and abandons its denuclearization demands.