A senior U.S. diplomat arrived in Seoul Friday for talks with South Korean officials on how to deal with North Korea after the imminent adoption of a U.N. resolution.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel is scheduled to meet with Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam and Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun to discuss the allies' joint response to North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, according to the ministry.
Washington and Beijing agreed Wednesday on a draft resolution calling for the strongest yet sanctions on Pyongyang, including mandatory inspections of all cargo going in and out of North Korea.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to adopt the resolution as early as this weekend after a review by the 13 other council members.
North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and followed it up with a long-range rocket launch on Feb. 7, which the outside world views as a banned test of ballistic missile technology.
During his meetings here, Russel is also expected to discuss the issue of the THAAD U.S. missile defense system, which the allies are considering deploying in South Korea to better counter North Korean threats.
Amid fierce Chinese opposition, Seoul and Washington have appeared to be cautious about moving forward, postponing the planned launch of a joint working group on the issue.
On Saturday, Russel flies to Beijing, where he expected to hold further consultations on North Korea. (Yonhap) |
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