South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon (L) and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun speak to reporters after holding consultations at the State Department building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 28, 2020.
South Korea and the United States have reaffirmed their committment to advancing stalled dialogue with North Korea and establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters in Washington on Monday that he discussed "creative ideas" on how to move negotiations with the North forward during a meeting with South Korean nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon.
Beigun said the two allies "remain fully committed to diplomacy as a way to reach an enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula, to achieve denuclearization, to bring about a brighter future for all of the Korean people and to bring about normalcy" in the United States' relationship with the North.
Lee said he and Biegun had "very productive" talks that included how they will manage the current situation and resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
The call for North Korea's return to the table comes less than a week after South Korean President Moon Jae-in emphasized the need to declare an official end to the Korean War, insisting it would provide a security guarantee that North Korea has long sought and open up the door for its denuclearization.
The two diplomats also discussed other relevant issues, including the recent killing of a South Korean maritime official by the North.
Biegun called it a tragic incident that was "deeply disturbing to the Korean people and certainly to the United States."
Lee, who arrived in the U.S. capital on Sunday for a four-day visit, highlighted the importance of the two allies working together and said they will continue to hold consultations "through various means and at various occasions."
<Photo: Yonhap News>
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