South's top national security official urges U.S. to resume talks with North

In this file photo, National Security Office Director Suh Hoon gives a briefing on Sept. 25 at the Blue House. [YONHAP]

President Moon Jae-in’s national security chief on Friday urged U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to resume talks with the North Korean regime as soon as possible, during a trilateral meeting that also included Japan's top national security official.

Suh Hoon, director of national security office of the Blue House, made the push during a video conference with his U.S. counterpart, Robert O’Brien, and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Kitamura, Blue House spokesman Kang Min-seok said Friday. According to Kang, the virtual consultation among the three national security chiefs took place earlier in the day.

All three agreed there should be no vacuum in trilateral cooperation on security and foreign affairs, regardless of the situation surrounding the U.S. presidential election. The race between President Trump and his rival, Joe Biden, remained too close to call as of Friday afternoon in Seoul, two days after voting ended in the United States.

The three security chiefs discussed a range of other issues, including denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing permanent peace in the region, Kang said.

“They shared their assessments on the latest affairs concerning the Korean Peninsula and discussed ways to engage North Korea to resume talks,” Kang said.

Efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic were also discussed, including cooperative measures to develop vaccine and cures. The three national security chiefs also agreed to convene another trilateral meeting in the near future, Kang said.

BY SER MYO-JA [ser.myoja@joongang.co.kr]