US nuke envoy arrives in ROK for denuke talks

SEOUL - A senior US nuclear envoy arrived in the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Monday for talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, according to the ROK foreign ministry.

Sung Kim, US special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met in Seoul with Noh Kyu-duk, the ROK's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs.

During the meeting, Kim was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying Washington shared Seoul's concerns about "the DPRK's escalatory actions".

The US envoy noted that the United States and the ROK will continue to work closely to respond "responsibly and decisively to the provocative behavior in the united context and beyond".

Regarding the DPRK's recent test-firing of a new tactical guided weapon, Noh said close cooperation between Seoul and Washington will be significant to go through the critical situation.

The ROK envoy added that the allies would need to prepare for and guard against all possibilities although a door to dialogue should be left open.

The DPRK's official Korean Central News agency reported Sunday that top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un observed the successful test-launch of a new-type tactical guided weapon.

The US envoy is slated to stay here until Friday to meet with ROK government officials as well as officials from the presidential transition team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol who is set to take office on May 10.