S. KOREA-U.S. DISCUSS N. KOREA POLICIES

[Anchor Lead]

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the U.S. discussed North Korea policies and the Korean Peninsula situation in Washington. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said he is looking forward to hearing back from North Korea regarding Seoul and Washington’s proposal of humanitarian cooperation.

[Pkg]

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the U.S. again sat down together a week after their previous meeting in Seoul. Following their latest meeting in Washington on Monday, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said in a press conference that he and his South Korean counterpart exchanged various ideas and plans, including enabling humanitarian cooperation with North Korea. Kim added he is looking forward to a response from Pyongyang.

[Soundbite] Sung Kim (U.S. Special Representative for North Korea)

South Korean chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk explained that South Korea and the U.S. have been discussing possible joint projects to promote humanitarian cooperation with the North and they will continue to work together closely on the issue. The special representative for the Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs also said he and Kim shared assessments on the North Korean nuclear issue and situations on the peninsula.

[Soundbite] Noh Kyu-duk(Special Rep. for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs) : "In close cooperation with the U.S., the South Korean government has been keeping a close eye on North Korea’s WMD-related activities."

It seems Noh made the remarks in reference to a recent IAEA report that the North appears to have restarted a plutonium-producing reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear complex. Regarding the speculation, the White House said the U.S. is well aware of the IAEA report and is seeking dialogue with Pyongyang.

[Soundbite] Jen Psaki(White House Spokesperson)

The Biden administration’s official stance is that the latest allegation underscores the urgent need to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through diplomacy and dialogue. Therefore, it is likely that following Noh and Kim’s consultation, Seoul and Washington may have delivered various proposals to Pyongyang, in addition to the offer of humanitarian cooperation, to bring the North back to the negotiating table.