US envoy downplays meeting expectations with North Korea after Pyongyang rejects talks

US envoy Stephen E. Biegun played down expectations for new meetings with North Korean officials over denuclearisation after Pyongyang rejected the immediate possibility of such talks. 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 United States 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 said.

On July 6, US State Department announced that Biegun, who also serves as Deputy State Secretary, 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.

Read: North Korea Says No Need Of Talks With US Ahead Of Envoy's Visit To South Korea

Lee's visit to Washington

Last month, Lee held a meeting with US officials after he arrived in Washington amid rising tensions with North Korea. Lee’s unannounced visit to the United States came days after North Korea blew up the joint liaison office near the South Korean border and cut all communication lines with Seoul. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said that the diplomat held discussions with Biegun, who had led denuclearisation negotiations with North Korea, and other US officials.

Biegun’s visit to Seoul and South Korea comes amid deteriorating inter-Korean relationship and propaganda war using leaflets and loudspeakers. The inter-Korean relations took a major hit after defectors started floating the leaflets to criticise Kim Jong-un’s regime over human rights violations and nuclear ambitions. The escalation prompted North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un to order the destruction of the liaison office, a symbol of peace and stability between the two nations.

Read: Kim Jong-un Lauds North Korea's COVID-19 Response, Appreciates 'spirit For The People'

(Image: AP)