U.S. envoy Sung Kim (L) speaks to reporters outside the State Department building, watched by his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk (R), in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 18, 2021. (Photo: AFP-Yonhap)
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim will visit Seoul this week for talks on ways to restart dialogue with the reclusive North, including an end-of-war declaration.
The American diplomat said the trip will follow meetings with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Noh Kyu-duk and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, in Washington this week.
Kim gave the update after speaking with Noh at the State Department on Monday.
He said they discussed the end of war proposal and that he looks forward to continuing those discussions and other issues of mutual concern.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed declaring a formal end to the Korean War during the U.N. General Assembly in New York last month as a way of bringing North Korea back to the dialogue table and resuming its denuclearization process.
In their joint press event, Noh said he and Kim discussed ways to engage and build trust with North Korea, including through humanitarian assistance, to help quickly restart dialogue and diplomacy.
But the U.S. special representative also emphasized the need to maintain international pressure on the North, including the implementation of related U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Kim added that the Biden-Harris administration will continue to advocate for the human rights of the North Korean people and resolution of the issue of Japanese nationals believed to have been abducted by the North.
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