White House still eager for talks with North Korea, but sees missile tests as destabilizing

A string of provocations from North Korea -- including its most powerful ballistic missile test in years over the weekend -- could be designed to extract concessions from the United States ahead of potential negotiations, a senior US administration official suggested on Sunday.

"Of course we're concerned," the official said of the latest round of launches from North Korea, which have unnerved US allies after a stretch of relative quiet.

The Biden administration has long sought to restart diplomacy with Pyongyang, extending the invitation for talks without any preconditions. While there has been "no serious discussion internally" of a meeting between President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, officials are eager for talks at a lower level "anytime, any place."