Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, US hold talks on North Korea diplomacy

Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, left, and the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim / Yonhap

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul on Monday to discuss joint efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea amid renewed tensions with Pyongyang over the allies' ongoing military exercise.

The talks between Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, and the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, came as Seoul and Washington have been exploring ways to encourage Pyongyang's return to dialogue through humanitarian initiatives and other means.

"I'm grateful to have this opportunity to engage you and other senior members of the Korean government at this important time," Kim said at the start of the talks.

"I think my visit here is another indication of Washington's determination to maintain the closest possible cooperation with the Republic of Korea government on all issues related to North Korea," he added.

Noh expressed hope that the two sides can discuss a "flexible and creative" way to advance Seoul's efforts for complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The two sides held their last in-person meeting in Seoul in June, during which Kim said Washington had offered to meet with Pyongyang "anywhere, anytime without preconditions" in a renewed overture for dialogue.

After the talks, Kim will meet Morgulov, who doubles as Russia's chief nuclear envoy. Kim is expected to call for Russia's full implementation of anti-Pyongyang sanctions and cooperation in resuming nuclear talks with the North.

Both Kim and Morgulov arrived in Seoul on Saturday.

Last month, cautious optimism emerged for inter-Korean cooperation as the two Koreas reactivated their communication lines some 13 months after the North severed them in anger over activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border into the North.

But the cross-border ties chilled again as the North has repeatedly castigated the South Korea-U.S. exercise, calling it the "most vivid expression of the U.S. hostile policy" toward the North and warning of a "serious security crisis."

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have remained stalemated since the Hanoi summit between then U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal in 2019. (Yonhap)