U.S. to brief Japan, South Korea on North Korea review The United States will brief South Korea and Japan on Friday on President Joe Biden’s long-awaited review of North Korea policy in talks on Friday that will also cover concerns about a shortage of semi-conductor chips, a senior administration official said on Thursday. Biden said last week the United States remained open to diplomacy with North Korea despite its ballistic missile tests, but warned there would be responses if North Korea escalates matters. “The primary goal is to ensure that we have a deep, shared understanding of circumstances that are taking place on the peninsula, in North Korea,” he told reporters, noting that some reports indicated North Korea has been on a total lockdown due to the pandemic. The White House has shared little about its review of policy toward North Korea and whether it will offer concessions to get Pyongyang to the negotiating table to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons. Source: Reuters