ID :
211611
Fri, 10/07/2011 - 03:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/211611
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S. Korea, U.S. discuss next steps on N. Korea
By Lee Chi-dong
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- After hours of meetings with senior U.S. officials, South Korea's new top nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam said Thursday that the two sides had "in-depth discussions" about the next steps in dealing with North Korea.
"South Korea and the United States jointly assessed changes in situations so far and also had in-depth discussions on future steps," Lim told Yonhap News Agency, coming out of the State Department building.
Standing next to Lim, Clifford Hart, the U.S. special envoy on the six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons drive, kept silent.
Lim also met with Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and Robert Einhorn, special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control.
The nuclear envoy arrived in Washington earlier Thursday, a trip coming on the heels of his appointment as Seoul's top delegate to the now-suspended six-party talks. He replaced Wi Sung-lac who was named ambassador to Russia.
Lim's three-day trip here also came ahead of President Lee Myung-bak's state visit to the U.S. next week.
Lee and his American counterpart Barack Obama are expected to deliver a joint message to Pyongyang after their summit talks slated for Thursday.
Washington and Pyongyang are expected to hold another round of high-level talks in the near future aimed at restarting the six-party talks that also involve China, Russia and Japan.
Informed sources said Pyongyang and Beijing have been ruled out as a possible venue, adding the widely anticipated talks will likely take place in a Southeast Asian or a European nation.
Lim, however, would not talk about the timing and venue of the talks between the U.S. and North Korea.
Meanwhile, a source said Burns is in charge of North Korea policy at the State Department unlike media expectations that Wendy Sherman, under secretary of state for political affairs, will mainly deal with the thorny issue.
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- After hours of meetings with senior U.S. officials, South Korea's new top nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam said Thursday that the two sides had "in-depth discussions" about the next steps in dealing with North Korea.
"South Korea and the United States jointly assessed changes in situations so far and also had in-depth discussions on future steps," Lim told Yonhap News Agency, coming out of the State Department building.
Standing next to Lim, Clifford Hart, the U.S. special envoy on the six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons drive, kept silent.
Lim also met with Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and Robert Einhorn, special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control.
The nuclear envoy arrived in Washington earlier Thursday, a trip coming on the heels of his appointment as Seoul's top delegate to the now-suspended six-party talks. He replaced Wi Sung-lac who was named ambassador to Russia.
Lim's three-day trip here also came ahead of President Lee Myung-bak's state visit to the U.S. next week.
Lee and his American counterpart Barack Obama are expected to deliver a joint message to Pyongyang after their summit talks slated for Thursday.
Washington and Pyongyang are expected to hold another round of high-level talks in the near future aimed at restarting the six-party talks that also involve China, Russia and Japan.
Informed sources said Pyongyang and Beijing have been ruled out as a possible venue, adding the widely anticipated talks will likely take place in a Southeast Asian or a European nation.
Lim, however, would not talk about the timing and venue of the talks between the U.S. and North Korea.
Meanwhile, a source said Burns is in charge of North Korea policy at the State Department unlike media expectations that Wendy Sherman, under secretary of state for political affairs, will mainly deal with the thorny issue.
