New US representative for North Korea visits Seoul

By Kim Bo-eun

The new U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun arrived in Seoul, Monday, for discussions on Pyongyang's denuclearization.

Biegun met with his counterpart Lee Do-hoon, the representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, upon his arrival after the two held their first phone call last Friday

The U.S. official's visit to Seoul is part of a trip to Northeast Asia as he begins his post.

Biegun will meet with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and hold another meeting with Lee Tuesday, before leaving for China and Japan.

The official is set to be briefed on the visit to Pyongyang by President Moon Jae-in's special envoys last week and about a scheduled inter-Korean summit next week, as well as discuss bilateral cooperation in North Korea's denuclearization process.

In his meeting with the South Korean envoys, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated his desire for the regime's denuclearization, and said this would be achieved within U.S. President Donald Trump's first term. Biegun may deliver the U.S. stance on the North Korean leader's statements about a denuclearization timeline. He may also discuss a letter from Kim sent to Trump.

These developments come after denuclearization talks appeared stalled following the cancellation of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang by Trump who cited a lack of progress in denuclearization on the part of North Korea.

Meetings in Beijing and Tokyo are likely to discuss declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War.

Biegun, a former Ford executive, was appointed to his post Aug, 23. He filled a vacancy of over six months, since his predecessor Joseph Yun retired.

Mark Lambert, who has been appointed to assist Biegun on North Korean affairs, is accompanying Biegun on the trip.

Abe briefed on summit

Meanwhile, National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon, who was part of the delegation of envoys to Pyongyang, met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to brief him about the trip.

Suh said Abe, referring to the fact that Japan has reached out to the North Korean leader through U.S. President Trump and Moon, stated a strong willingness to speak to Kim.

He stressed “It is the South Korean government's stance that relations between North Korea and Japan should be improved and that it will do whatever it can to enable this.”

Last week National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who headed the delegation of envoys, met with Yang Jiechi, a top Chinese Communist Party official in charge of foreign affairs, in Beijing. Chung discussed his trip to Pyongyang with Yang. The presidential adviser said he and Yang discussed the issue of ending the Korean War. China is a relevant party as it is one of the signatories of the armistice.