Seoul/Washington, (Samajweekly) Senior officials from South Korea and the US held talks on ways to restart dialogue with North Korea, the State Department said.
US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak hosted a “deputy-level consultation meeting” with her South Korean counterpart, Rim Kap-soo, according to the Department.
“The two sides discussed the current situation on the Korean Peninsula; prospects for humanitarian cooperation; and the potential for dialogue with the DPRK,” Yonhap News Agency quoted the Department as saying.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.
The meeting comes after Kim said the countries will continue to discuss ways to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table, including an end of war declaration proposed by Seoul.
Kim made the remarks after a Seoul meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, on October 24.
South Korea believes that declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War could work as a catalyst to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
North Korea currently remains unresponsive to .S overtures for dialogue. It has also stayed away from denuclearization negotiations since 2019.
This meeting further demonstrated the shared commitment between the US and the Republic of Korea to advance our common goal of achieving complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” said the press release, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Monday’s meeting was also attended by officials from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification and the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, as well as officials from the US National Security Council and the Treasury and Defense Departments, it added.