US special envoy for North Korea to visit Seoul for talks: State Dept.
South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk, left, and his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, speak to reporters after their meeting on denuclearizing North Korea at the U.S. State Department in Washington, April 4. Yonhap
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim will visit South Korea next week for talks that will include discussions on a joint response to North Korea's recent missile launches, the state department said Thursday.
The special representative for the DPRK will visit Seoul from Monday through Friday, according to the department.
"During his visit, Special Representative Kim will meet with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk and other senior ROK officials to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the international community's response to the DPRK's recent ICBM launches," it said in a press release.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim's trip to Seoul comes after the South Korean special envoy visited Washington last week to discuss a joint strategy on preventing further escalation by the recalcitrant North that has already staged 12 missile launches this year, including seven in January that marked the largest number of missile tests Pyongyang has conducted in a single month.
After their Washington meeting, Kim and Noh said they agreed to push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea.
"We also agreed on the importance of a strong UN Security response to these escalatory actions by the DPRK, and I look forward to working with Ambassador Noh and his team and their colleagues in the UN to pursue a new UN Security Council resolution," Kim said.
The state department said Kim will be accompanied by Deputy Special Representative for the DPRK Jung Pak on his trip to Seoul.
"The Special Representative and Deputy Special Representative's travel to Seoul underscores the U.S. and ROK commitment to ongoing close collaboration on DPRK issues as we seek to advance complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula," it said. (Yonhap)