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According to the State Department, the US envoy for North Korea will visit Seoul next week after meetings with South Korean counterparts to discuss the global reaction to the North’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches. US Special Representative Sung Kim has stated that he is willing to hold talks with North Korea at any time and without preconditions, but Pyongyang has so far rejected those overtures, accusing Washington of continuing hostile policies such as sanctions and military drills. North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017, and US and South Korean authorities claim there are signs it may be preparing to resume nuclear weapons tests.
Kim and his deputy, Jung Pak, will encounter with South Korean officials, including nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk, during a five-day visit that begins Monday, according to a statement from the State Department.
The visit reaffirms the US and South Korean commitment to continuing close cooperation on North Korean problems as they “seek to advance complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula,” according to a statement.
According to a draught resolution reviewed by Reuters, the US is urging the UN Security Council to sanction North Korea further for its renewed ballistic missile launches by outlawing tobacco, halving oil exports to the country, and blacklisting the Lazarus hacking group.
To deter the North, South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, a conservative who will take office on May 10, has called for stronger ties with the United States.
His nominee for unification minister, who handles relations with the North, said on Thursday that a Yoon administration may appear “hardline” and “hawkish” as it seeks to strengthen its military capability to better deter North Korean threats, but he will work to create momentum for dialogue to defuse tensions.
