A spokesperson for the United Nations on Thursday confirmed earlier reports of a letter received from North Korea requesting drastic cuts to foreign aid workers stationed in-country, saying the two sides are engaged in discussions over the issue.

“We’re in dialogue with the Government at this point,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary General, told reporters during a regular briefing from New York.

Dujarric said that “the Secretary‑General obviously looks forward to a dialogue with the representative coming from Pyongyang,” while pointing out that, in the end, it is North Korea’s “sovereign decision.”

The APon Thursday published details of