By Jun Ji-hye
Sydney Seiler, the U.S. special envoy to the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear development program, will soon finish his term in the role, according to diplomatic sources Monday.
Seiler, who took the job in September last year, was assigned to the State Department on loan from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
Seiler’s next appointment is currently unknown, but sources expect him to return to the DNI. It is also unknown who will succeed him.
In a reply automatically returned to an email inquiry, Seiler said, “I am out of the office and will be moving on to my next assignment.”
Seiler has been cited as one of the top Korea specialists in the administration of President Barack Obama with his fluency in Korean and a number of visits to North Korea.
Through the six-party talks, Seiler has coordinated Washington’s efforts on denuclearization of the repressive state, and led day-to-day engagement with other six-party partners, which include China, South Korea, Russia, Japan, and North Korea.
He participated in numerous rounds of the six-party talks as well as bilateral Washington-Pyongyang talks.
At the end of July, Seiler visited Seoul for discussions on how to handle the North, following a landmark deal on Iran’s nuke program.
Seiler previously served as the director on Korea for the National Security Council staff from April 2011-August 2014, a position in which he advised President Obama and senior White House officials on South and North Korea issues to coordinate policy on Korea.
He also served as the deputy DNI national intelligence manager for North Korea, and had a variety of assignments across the intelligence community including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, according to the State Department.
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