Nuclear envoys of South Korea, U.S. call for China's 'constructive role' over North Korea's nuke issue

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Nuclear envoys of South Korea, U.S. call for China's 'constructive role' over North Korea's nuke issue

Published: 27 Jun. 2023, 11:22 Updated: 27 Jun. 2023, 11:26

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, right, and his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, pose for a photo prior to their talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons at the Foreign Ministry in central Seoul on April 6. [YONHAP]

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held phone talks Monday to discuss North Korea's denuclearization and the outcome of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to China, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said.

Kim Gunn, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, agreed to cooperate closely in communicating with Beijing over the North's nuclear issue, according to the ministry.

The two envoys agreed the recent U.S.-China meeting served as an "important opportunity to reaffirm" that North Korea's denuclearization was a common interest of the international community and vowed to continue urging China to play a "constructive role" in the nuclear issue.

During his visit to China earlier this month, Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed to work toward stabilizing their ties so that it "does not veer into conflict."

The nuclear envoys discussed ways to step up cooperation to block North Korea's nuclear and missile program financing through cryptocurrency theft and overseas workers.

The two sides also criticized North Korea's attempt to "distort history" by claiming the 1950-53 Korean War was "a war of aggression provoked by the United States," warning such propaganda moves will only backfire.

Earlier Monday, North Korea accused Seoul and Washington of pushing current tensions on the peninsula to "the brink of a nuclear war."

Yonhap