Sung Kim, US Special Representative for North Korea, to Visit Korea Next Week... Discussions on Response Ahead of North Korea's 'Additional Provocations'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Including Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy at the State Department, U.S. officials in charge of North Korea's nuclear issues will visit South Korea next week to meet with officials from the current and incoming administrations.

According to diplomatic sources on the 12th, Kim, the U.S. chief representative for North Korea nuclear issues, is scheduled to visit South Korea around the 18th. Jung Park, the U.S. deputy special representative for North Korea, will also visit South Korea around the same time.

During his visit, Kim plans to consult with his counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will also meet with officials from the Presidential Transition Committee and the incoming administration to coordinate the new government's approach to North Korea. They are expected to focus on ways to manage the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, where the regime change period coincides with the possibility of North Korean nuclear provocations.

North Korea is expected to mark major anniversaries such as the 110th birthday of Kim Il-sung (Day of the Sun) on the 15th and the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army on the 25th, raising concerns about resuming intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches and nuclear tests. Notably, this period overlaps with the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, which could heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula to their peak.

Therefore, during this visit, there will likely be exchanges of views on how the two countries would respond to any additional provocations by North Korea. The delegation from President-elect Yoon's side stated during their visit to the U.S. from the 3rd to the 11th that they would cooperate to prepare for potential further provocations by North Korea.

There is also interest in whether discussions will take place regarding a South Korea-U.S. summit coinciding with President Biden's attendance at the Quad summit scheduled for late next month in Japan. Mark Lambert, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan, who is responsible for bilateral relations at the U.S. State Department, is also reported to be visiting South Korea this week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.