Acting U.S. Ambassador Kevin Kim met Jeong Yeon-du, head of the Office of Foreign Strategy and Intelligence and chief representative for North Korea nuclear talks, on the 10th and discussed North Korea policy.
After the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on the afternoon of the same day, Kim told reporters, "The United States and South Korea are closely coordinating on every issue," and "We are working closely together on matters related to North Korea."
The government is pushing to hold regular meetings with the United States to coordinate North Korea policy. The two countries are said to have agreed on the need for regular consultations in addition to existing ad hoc communications on North Korea policy.
When asked whether the United States is concerned about the phrase "a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," Kim smiled and avoided specifics.
Recently, some media reported that Kim, in meetings with senior South Korean government officials, conveyed concerns about using the phrase "a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula" instead of "North Korea's denuclearization."