US envoy for N.Korea to meet S.Korean, Chinese counterparts next week

Washington, April 2

Sung Kim, US special representative for North Korea, will meet his South Korean and Chinese counterparts here in Washington next week to discuss North Korea's recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, the US Department of State has said.

Kim, who is concurrently serving as US ambassador to Indonesia, will arrive in Washington on Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the department.

"US Special Representative for the DPRK Ambassador Sung Kim will travel to Washington, DC April 3-7 to participate in a series of meetings with US government officials and others on a broad range of DPRK issues, including the DPRK's recent ICBM launches," it said in a press release, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"He will meet with ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk to discuss the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. Special Representative Kim will also meet with PRC Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Ambassador Liu Xiaoming to discuss issues related to the DPRK," it added.

ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

North Korea fired an apparent ICBM last Thursday, following its two missile launches on February 27 and March 5 that the US says had involved a new ICBM system.

The latest missile launch also ended Pyongyang's self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing that had been in place since late 2017.