US, Japan, ROK to discuss DPRK situation

WASHINGTON - The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will hold a trilateral dialogue in Washington on Jan 17 on the recent developments in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the US State Department announced on Thursday.

"These three countries have regular trilateral meetings in order to exchange views on a wide range of regional and global issues of mutual interest, including North Korea," the department said in a statement.

The one-day dialogue will be co-hosted by US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell and Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies, said the statement.

The South Korean delegation will be headed by its Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Issues Lim Sung-nam, while the Japanese delegation will be headed by its Foreign Ministry's Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Shinsuke Sugiyama, according to the statement.

The statement said the dialogue reflected "the close cooperation" among the three countries, "as well as common values and interests across the Asia-Pacific and the globe."

Last week, Campbell visited China, ROK and Japan in the wake of the death of Kim Jong Il, late leader of the DPRK.