Deputy nuke envoys of S. Korea, Russia discuss North Korea issues by phone

The deputy nuke envoys of South Korea and Russia held phone talks to discuss the latest developments on North Korea, including the recent key party congress, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Lee Moon-hee, director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, and his Russian counterpart, Oleg Burmistrov, shared assessments on the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the eighth congress of the Workers' Party that ended earlier this month, the ministry said.

They also discussed joint efforts for cooperation in advancing the process toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the settlement of permanent peace, the ministry said.

In the phone talks, Lee also asked Burmistrov to visit Seoul for deeper consultation on the peninsula issues. Burmistrov, in turn, thanked Lee for the invitation and hoped for further cooperation in the peninsula issues at the UN and international levels, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)