US envoy wraps up Seoul visit amid stalled denuclearisation talks with North Korea

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun wrapped up his meetings with South Korean officials on July 8 heading to Japan amid stalled denuclearisation talks with Pyongyang. Biegun had insisted that he wasn’t looking for a meeting with North Korean officials to resume talks after Pyongyang rejected the possibility.

According to a statement carried by North Korea’s official news agency, Foreign Ministry official Kwon Jong Gun repeated that Pyongyang has no immediate intention to resume dialogue with the United States. Kwon said he dismissed the South Korean call to revive negotiation between Pyongyang and Washington, terming it “nonsensical”.

The US special representative to North Korea is on a four-day visit to South Korea and Japan to discuss bilateral and global issues including denuclearisation of North Korea. After holding talks with chief nuclear negotiator Lee Do-hoon, Biegun said that the US didn’t request a visit to the North. He insisted that the ongoing visit is to meet close friends and allies but hinted that the US is ready to resume talks with North Korea at any time they want.

“We look forward to continuing our work for a peaceful outcome of the Korean peninsula, I believe this is very much possible,” he told reporters after holding talks with chief nuclear negotiator Lee Do-hoon.

Read: Senior US Diplomat To Visit Seoul, Tokyo To Discuss North Korea's Denuclearisation

Trump's final effort?

On July 6, US State Department announced that Biegun, who led the talks for denuclearisation as Special Representative for North Korea, will meet South Korean and Japanese officials to further strengthen coordination on the final, fully verified denuclearisation. The visit sparked speculations around US President Donald Trump’s final effort to revive talks before the upcoming presidential elections.

Biegun was expected to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s national security adviser on July 8. Biegun took the charge as Deputy State Secretary in December 2019 and his boss, Mike Pompeo, has shown tremendous faith in him, calling his deputy an important addition to maintain momentum in executing a foreign policy that advances America’s interests.

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(Image: AP)