S. KOREA-U.S. NUCLEAR NEGOTIATORS MEET

[Anchor Lead]

With North Korea continuing to make provocations by launching missiles, chief nuclear negotiators of South Korea and the U.S. met and agreed to take stern action if the North resumes nuclear tests. Pyongyang repeatedly denounced South Korea-U.S. joint military drills that began on Monday.

[Pkg]

Tensions are again running high on the Korean Peninsula, as North Korea fired a new strategic guided weapon and mentioned a possibility of using strategic nuclear weapons. On the day South Korea and the U.S. kicked off joint military drills, their respective top nuclear envoys held a meeting in Seoul to discuss North Korea issues. The chief negotiators vowed to take stern measures against North Korea if it conducts nuclear tests and fires intercontinental ballistic missiles.

[Soundbite] Noh Kyu-duk(S. Korean Top Nuclear Envoy) : "South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to take tough responses through the UN Security Council if North Korea violates UNSC resolutions."

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

Their remarks indicate the two allies’ agreement to strengthen joint military defense posture while working to impose more international sanctions on the North. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s pick for foreign minister Park Jin said appeasement policies solely cannot prevent North Korea’s provocations and practical policy changes are needed to deal with the North. Park is expected to meet with Sung Kim. He added the incoming government will induce Pyongyang to denuclearize through both pressure and persuasion.

[Soundbite] Park Jin(Foreign Minister Nominee) : "It is necessary to maintain solid cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. to strengthen deterrence against North Korea."

While Seoul and Washington is keeping a close eye on North Korea’s moves, the regime appears to be preparing a large-scale military parade to celebrate the Army’s founding anniversary next Monday. It is likely that the North will mobilize up to 20,000 troops, a variety of military equipment and strategic weapons like the ICBM and SLBM for the parade. North Korean propaganda outlets continued to condemn South Korea’s joint military drills with the U.S., stressing the North is a nuclear power.