US envoy for North Korea Sung Kim to discuss Korean peninsula denuclearization in Tokyo

US State Department on September 10 informed that special envoy for rth Korea, Sung Kim will be visiting Tokyo, Japan on September 13-15. According to a press release, during his visit, Kim is expected to discuss denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula. He will join a trilateral meeting with Japanese Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro and Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs h Kyu-duk. 

“Special Representative Kim will also meet with or senior Japanese officials to discuss cooperation on a broad range of issues, including U.S. commitment to complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula and immediate resolution of abductions issue,” press release read. 

“Special Representative Kim’s travel to Tokyo for trilateral and bilateral meetings underscores ongoing U.S. coordination with and commitment to our allies on DPRK issues,” it added. 

According to ANI, back in August, Kim had visited South Korea to meet with Security Affairs Representative h Kyu-duk. Back n, he discussed humanitarian aid to rth Korea and military exercises by allies. It is worth ting that Biden administration and South Korea remain committed to ongoing close collaboration on rth Korea issues as y seek complete denuclearisation and permanent peace on Korean peninsula. 

US- rth Korea relations 

Meanwhile, Kim's travel to Japan comes amid dwindling hopes for a rapid resumption of talks and rising tensions over continuing military drills between US and South Korea. rth Korea has labelled drills as a drill for an invasion and has warned unspecified responses that will put US and South Korea in a "security crisis”. It is worth ting that since collapse of a summit between former President Donald Trump and rth Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2019, when Americans rejected rth's demand for a major easing of ecomic sanctions in exchange for a partial reduction of its nuclear capabilities, talks between two countries have stalled.

Kim Jong Un has since pledged to bolster his country's nuclear deterrent while urging his people to stay resilient in a struggle for ecomic self-dependence in face of US pressure. His government has so far rejected Biden administration's overtures for talks, demanding that Washington abandon its “hostile” policies first.

(Im: Twitter)