A top US envoy called Saturday for patience in getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs, a day after Washington warned of aggressive sanctions unless the North returns to stalled disarmament talks. North Korea withdrew from the six-nation talks in April to protest a UN statement condemning a rocket launch. North Korea insisted it sent a satellite into orbit, while the US and its allies said it was actually a long-range missile test. North Korea's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong Nam, said this past week that his country is not ready to resume the talks, which involve the two Koreas, the US, Japan, China and Russia – because the US and its allies do not respect its sovereignty. Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, said the path North Korea had taken was unsustainable and it was likely to ultimately choose to re-engage with other nations. Campbell is to meet with South Korea's foreign minister and its top nuclear envoy on Monday.
