Mike Pence
Mike PenceReuters

The United States is open to talks with North Korea, but only to convey its stance that "the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet" must give up its nuclear weapons, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

"We want to make sure North Korea understands us, and if there’s an opportunity for talks that can communicate the fixed policy of the United States of America to them, the president has made it clear he always believes in talking. But talking is not negotiation - talking is understanding one another," he was quoted as having told the Axios news outlet.

Pence added the United States would continue to intensify diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea and that the sanctions would not be lifted until it abandoned its weapons programs.

Pence spoke after attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea last week, at which he avoided contact with a North Korean delegation that held talks with the South Korean leadership and which included North Korea leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong.

The vice president said he did not greet the delegation given that North Korea was "the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet."

"I didn’t avoid the dictator’s sister, but I did ignore her. I didn’t believe it was proper for the United States of America to give any countenance or attention in that forum to someone who is not merely the sister of the dictator, but is the leader of the propaganda effort," added Pence.

Pence called North Korea a "prison state" and accused the ruling family of widespread abuses, including the murder of Kim Jong Un's brother and uncle.

South Korea has said its president, Moon Jae-in, who has been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the standoff over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States, was offered a meeting with Kim in Pyongyang via his sister.

While the North-South thaw has prompted speculation that it could lead to direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang, Pence told Axios that regardless of the North-South talks, there was "no daylight" between the allies on the need to intensify pressure on Pyongyang.

"We will all remain united in our shared commitment that the Kim regime in North Korea must permanently abandon their nuclear weapons program to see it dismantled, to accept denuclearization before there is any progress whatsoever on the pressure on the sanctions," he was quoted as having said.

Tensions have continued between the United States and North Korea as Kim and President Donald Trump have exchanged insults and threats.

Kim claimed in January that his country has developed the capability to hit the entire U.S. mainland with its nuclear weapons.

Trump then tweeted in response, “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”

Last year, North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that had the potential range of reaching the United States mainland. Most recently, it launched a Hwasong-15 missile, a new type of ICBM which officials said can fly over 13,000 km (8,080 miles).

Pyongyang said following that launch as well that that it had test-fired its most advanced missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range, and also declared itself to be "a responsible nuclear power".

A top American general said several weeks ago that while North Korea has made new advances in its ICBM program, it has not yet demonstrated all the capabilities needed to hit America with such a weapon.

On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said North Korea's nuclear program poses a potential "existential threat" to the United States and added, “The decision time is becoming ever closer in terms of how we respond to this.”