US Special Representative to North Korea Stephen Biegun yesterday visited a border village that the two Koreas have been demilitarizing as part of steps to reduce military tensions amid a larger diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear weapons issue.
The US embassy in Seoul did not provide details about Biegun’s visit to Panmunjom.
He was not expected to meet with North Korean officials at the village, which is often used for diplomacy between the allies and North Korea.
Photo: AP
Biegun said after arriving in South Korea on Wednesday that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve an impasse in nuclear negotiations.
North Korea had not responded to Biegun’s comments.
The North’s state media has said that the US’ continued commitment to sanctions and criticism about the North’s human rights record could “block the path to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula forever.”
During his four-day visit to South Korea, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies’ policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions. The meetings are likely to include conversations about a groundbreaking ceremony the Koreas plan to hold at Panmunjom next week for a project to reconnect their roads and railways.
The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June, when they issued a promise for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
The US wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first.
The stalemate has been a setback for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has been pushing for reconciliation with the North.
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