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QUESTION: Jen, on North Korea.
MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: As you know that the former CIA guy, Mr. Don Gregg, his visit to North Korea
right now.
MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: Do you know intention of his visit to North Korea?
MS. PSAKI: I think Marie spoke to this yesterday and said it was a private visit and it wasn’t
on behalf to the U.S. Government.
QUESTION: But North Korea canceled Ambassador King’s visit to North Korea for second times.
It seems to, like, mostly political gain by North Korea. The – what is the United States
diplomatic options or actions to the North Korea?
MS. PSAKI: Well, let me – I know there were a couple of logistics questions on this yesterday
and I have a few more details, so --
QUESTION: Okay.
MS. PSAKI: North Korea extended the invitation to Ambassador King on February 5th, and rescinded
the invitation on February 8th. North Korea is attempting to link Kenneth Bae’s case
to unrelated military exercises. As you’ve heard us say many times, there is no connection.
These annual military exercises are transparent, regularly scheduled, and defense-oriented,
and they’re in no way linked to his case.
In terms of what our options are, we remain committed to securing Kenneth Bae’s release.
Obviously, that is our priority and our focus. We have our own means of communicating with
North Korea, which, as should come as no surprise, I’m not going to outline from here. We remain
gravely concerned about his health. So we will continue to press on this issue.
QUESTION: But doesn’t --
QUESTION: (Inaudible) are you aware? And if you’re not --
MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: -- maybe you could find out for us?
MS. PSAKI: Sure.
QUESTION: When the North extended this invitation on February 5th, did they say Ambassador King
is welcome as long as you call off these military exercise? Was there any mention at all of
the possibility that they might rescind it in the actual invitation any discussion of
the military exercise? And then, also, on February 8th when they rescinded the invitation,
you said that – you say that they are attempting to link the Kenneth Bae’s case to the exercise.
MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: But did they specifically say that – that we’re – Ambassador King is no
longer welcome because you guys are refusing to call off the --
MS. PSAKI: Sure.
QUESTION: -- or anything like that?
MS. PSAKI: Let me check, Matt, and see if there’s more we can outline on that specific
question.