Biegun says US, S. Korea discuss 'creative ideas' on N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said Monday he discussed "creative ideas" on how to move the stalled negotiations with North Korea forward during talks with South Korea's chief nuclear envoy.

"The United States and the Republic of Korea remain fully committed to diplomacy as a way to reach an enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula, to achieve denuclearization, to bring about a brighter future for all of the Korean People and to bring about normalcy in the United States' relationship with the DPRK," US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters.

He spoke shortly after talks with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon. "I very much appreciate (the) encouragement and creative ideas that we discussed today. But we cannot do it by ourselves. The US and ROK cannot do it by ourselves. We need the DPRK engaged, and we remain open to that discussion with them when they are prepared," Biegun said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Lee said the two had "very productive" discussions on ways to move forward. "Special envoy Biegun and I discussed how we will manage this situation and how we will resume our dialogue (with North Korea)," Lee said.

"And also in our conversation, (we) discussed various ways on how we will lead our joint tasks of denuclearizing the peninsula and establishing a peace regime," added the South Korean diplomat, who arrived here Sunday on a four-day visit.

North Korea has stayed away from any serious dialogue with South Korea and the United States since leader Kim Jong-un's second bilateral summit with US President Donald Trump ended without a deal in February 2019.

The first Trump-Kim summit was in Singapore in June 2018.

The call for North Korea's return to the dialogue table comes less than a week after South Korean President Moon Jae-in emphasized the need to declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War, insisting it would provide a security guarantee that North Korea has long sought and thus opening the door for its denuclearization.

South and North Korea technically remain at war as the Korean War ended only with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Biegun said he and Lee discussed many other issues relevant to the Korean Peninsula, including the recent killing of a South Korean maritime official by the communist North.

He said it was a tragic incident that was "deeply disturbing to the Korean people and certainly to the United States."

"But we also talked about constructive ways to continue advance our diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula, together," said Biegun.

The US State Department earlier expressed its support for South Korea in condemning the North's killing of the 47-year-old South Korean government official, who was drifting in waters off the North's west coast on Tuesday.

Lee highlighted the importance of the two allies working together.

"I believe in the future, as the current situation requires it, it is very important for South Korea and the United States to work together. Therefore, Deputy Secretary Biegun and I will continue to hold our consultations through various means and at various occasions," he said. (Yonhap)