U.S. Special Representative on North Korea Stephen Biegun on Monday said that diplomacy with the DPRK was “very much alive” even if progress on denuclearization was slow.

Speaking at a nuclear conference in the U.S. capital, Biegun answered questions on a wide range of topics from the failed summit in Hanoi to the challenges of negotiating with North Korea and Pyongyang’s treatment of U.S. national Otto Warmbier.

“While we haven’t made as much progress in the six months as I would have hoped, coming in on the first day (he started at his post), we stay closely engaged with our counterparts