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U.S. nuclear envoy to visit S. Korea next week: report

July 3, 2020

The top U.S. envoy for North Korea is due to visit South Korea next week amid stalled denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang, Reuters reported Friday.

Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will meet with South Korean officials Tuesday, Reuters quoted a government official as saying.

The trip comes after President Moon Jae-in committed to working toward a fourth meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before the U.S. presidential election in November.

Trump and Kim have met three times to try to reach a deal on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons program in exchange for U.S. concessions.

The two sides have failed to make progress since their second summit in February 2019 ended abruptly due to differences over the scope of North Korea’s denuclearization and sanctions relief from the U.S.

Biegun said this week that he believes another summit is unlikely before the election, citing COVID-19 as a reason.

But he added there is still time to make “substantial progress.”

This file photo shows U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun. (Yonhap)

This file photo shows U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun. (Yonhap)