Top South Korean envoy on North Korea nuke programme to meet US counterpart on 4-day visit this week

Mr Lee Do Hoon (right), South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, and Mr Joseph Yun, US special representative for North Korea policy, last met on Nov 17. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

SEOUL - The top South Korean negotiator on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is slated to visit the US this week to discuss efforts to persuade Pyongyang to shelve its ambitions.

According to the South Korean Foreign Ministry, Mr Lee Do Hoon, the special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will depart for the US on Tuesday (Nov 28) for a four-day visit.

He will visit Washington, DC, and New York, where he will meet his US counterpart, Mr Joseph Yun, as well as other government officials, reported South Korea's official Yonhap news agency.

"During his visit in the US, Lee plans to share (with the US) his assessment on the latest conditions of North Korea and its nuclear issue, based on his recent series of consultations with concerned countries like Japan, China and Russia," the ministry said.

"On the basis of this, (he) will have in-depth discussions on details of how to bring North Korea toward the process of denuclearisation through various diplomatic efforts," it said.

The meeting between Mr Lee and Mr Yun would be their second in a month. They last met on Nov 17 on Jeju Island in South Korea on the sidelines of a UN meeting on disarmament and non-proliferation.

On Monday (Nov 27), Mr Lee met with Russia's top negotiator on the North Korean nuclear weapons programme, Vice-Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, reported Yonhap.

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