U.S., S. Korea coordinate regularly on N.K. policy: State Dept.

By Lee Haye-ah

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- The United States and South Korea coordinate regularly on North Korea policy, including sanctions implementation and inter-Korean cooperation, the State Department said Tuesday.

A department spokesperson made the remark in response to South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young's suggestion that the two countries make improvements to their North Korea "working group" to help spur inter-Korean cooperation.

"The United States and the Republic of Korea regularly coordinate on diplomatic efforts, on the implementation and enforcement of sanctions, and on inter-Korean cooperation," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency when asked about Lee's idea.

The working group was set up in November 2018 to help the two sides coordinate their policies on North Korea. Pyongyang has blasted the mechanism as a hindrance to progress in inter-Korean relations, especially as international sanctions continue to block most economic cooperation projects between the two Koreas.

Lee proposed improvements to the working group during a Seoul meeting with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris on Tuesday (Seoul time).

He dubbed the envisioned new forum "Working Group Version 2.0" and called for restarting inter-Korean dialogue as well as humanitarian projects.

Harris responded that the U.S. strongly supports inter-Korean cooperation and finding ways to do so through the working group.

Inter-Korean relations have suffered as a result of stalled denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met three times between June 2018 and June 2019 to try to reach a deal on dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for concessions.

The effort has produced little result due to differences over how to match their steps.

hague@yna.co.kr
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