9 October
Diplomats from Japan, the United States and South Korea meeting in Washington on Tuesday reaffirmed the importance of cooperation in working toward the denuclearization of North Korea.
The meeting was between Shigeki Takizaki, the Director-General of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea, and Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs.
Biegun is believed to have briefed the others on last week's working-level talks between the US and North Korea in Sweden, the first of its kind in seven months.
North Korea said the talks had "broken off," while the US said the two sides had "good discussions."
The US State Department said the three countries confirmed they would work closely toward denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee told reporters that they spent a long time discussing how to maintain the momentum of the denuclearization talks.
The US has expressed its intention to resume talks two weeks after the Stockholm meeting. But North Korea says it will decide whether to continue the talks depending on how the US behaves.
Pyongyang wants guarantees to safeguard its political system and an easing of sanctions in exchange for steps toward denuclearization.
nhk
