As the United States weighs its options on North Korea, it's once again signaling what it would take for talks to take place. On Dec. 12, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the United States is ready to hold talks with North Korea without preconditions, adding that it is not realistic to expect North Korea to first abandon its nuclear program. Tillerson's remarks brought speculation that Washington's position is changing, but his statements must be taken in context. While saying that there were no preconditions for talks, he also effectively set preconditions: According to Tillerson, talks should be preceded by an announced halt to North Korean weapons testing and North Korea must come to the table willing to change course....
