Stephen Biegun, the US’s special representative for North Korea, met South Korea’s Lee Do-hoon at the State Department, the US state secretary saidThe diplomats focused on ‘sustained implementation of UN sanctions’
Top US and South Korean diplomats for North Korea met on Tuesday at the US State Department to coordinate efforts to jump-start Washington’s stalled nuclear talks with Pyongyang.
Stephen Biegun, the US’s special representative for North Korea, hosted his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon, the Republic of Korea’s Special Representative for Korean peninsula Peace and Security Affairs in Washington.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that the meeting aimed to “further strengthen our close coordination on achieving our shared goal – the final, fully verified denuclearisation as agreed to by Chairman Kim [Jong-un]”.
The diplomats were “discussing ongoing diplomatic efforts, sustained implementation of UN sanctions and inter-Korean cooperation,” Pompeo said during a press conference at the State Department.
The working-level talks came days after North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a “hi-tech tactical” weapon and announced it would release a US citizen who had been detained since October for illegally entering the country.
