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Sung Kim (R) stands after U.S. President Joe Biden announced Kim will serve as a special U.S. envoy for DPRK in Washington, May 21, 2021. /Reuters
Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) policy, arrived in Seoul on Saturday for talks with his counterparts from Republic of Korea (ROK) and Russia, as they seek DPRK's return to dialogue amid renewed tensions over the ongoing joint military exercise by Seoul and Washington.
"I'm looking forward to very close consultations with our Korean government colleagues," Kim told reporters upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.
He added he will also meet with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, who arrived in Seoul on Saturday morning for a six-day trip.
Kim is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Noh Kyu-duk, ROK's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, on Monday to discuss how to achieve substantive progress in the efforts for the complete denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the ROK's Foreign Ministry said.
Morgulov will meet with Noh on Tuesday and no trilateral session among Noh, Kim and Morgulov has been arranged yet, according to Yonhap.
In a separate press release, the U.S. State Department said that Kim's visit to Seoul "illustrates the U.S.'s and ROK's commitment to ongoing close collaboration on DPRK issues as we seek to advance complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula."
The talks are held amid DPRK's protests against the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military maneuvers. The
DPRK reacted angrily
to the preliminary exercise, warning that the drills would dampen the conciliatory mood created in the wake of the restoration of the communication lines and vowing to strengthen the country's defense and preemptive strike capabilities.
