The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan held phone talks Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue and security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The conversation between Lee Do-hoon and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeki Takizaki, came amid concerns that the global fight against the new coronavirus could overshadow efforts to denuclearize the North.
Seoul's foreign ministry said the two sides agreed to continue close communication and cooperation over the regime's nuclear issue in the midst of active efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Lee and Takizaki were expected to exchange views on Pyongyang's plan to convene a session of the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's rubber-stamp parliament, on Friday, and a recent series of rocket launches.
Last Thursday, Lee also spoke with Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea and deputy secretary of state, over the phone in a show of their continued coordination on peace efforts.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
