US special envoy to North Korea to travel to Seoul next week

US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim will travel to Seoul on Monday for a five-day trip to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the joint response to North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile provocation, the US State Department said Thursday.

“During his visit, Special Representative Kim will meet with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk and other senior ROK officials to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the international community’s response to the DPRK’s recent ICBM launches,” the State Department said in a press release. DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.

US Deputy Special Representative for the DPRK Jung Pak will also accompany him, it added.

Kim’s trip to Seoul comes shortly after Noh visited Washington earlier this month, where the two discussed strategies to prevent further provocations by Pyongyang.

So far, North Korea has carried out 12 rounds of missile launches this year, including its first ICBM test in over four years, last month.

The State Department also said the trip to Seoul “underscores the US and ROK commitment to ongoing close collaboration on DPRK issues” as they seek to “advance complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

During the trip, Kim may also meet with South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, as he has said he would also like to meet with the presidential transition team.

It would be the US special envoy’s fourth time visiting Seoul after he was appointed last May.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)