(LEAD) U.S. expects to complete N. Korea policy review in "weeks": Sung Kim

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks, additional information, more background from 5th para)
By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States is expected to complete its ongoing review of its North Korea policy in a few "weeks," a senior U.S. State Department official said Friday, ahead of Secretary Antony Blinken's upcoming trip to South Korea and Japan to discuss the issue.

Sung Kim, acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said the secretary's visit to the countries will provide great opportunities for the Asian allies to offer their own input into a new U.S. policy toward North Korea.

"I don't have any exact timeline for the completion of the review, but we are working expeditiously and I think maybe in the coming weeks we'll be able to complete the review," Kim said of the ongoing North Korea policy review.

"We're not finished yet, but throughout the review we have stayed in very close touch with our colleagues and friends in Tokyo and Seoul because we want to make sure to incorporate their input," he told a telephonic press briefing, also joined by David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs.

Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are set to visit Japan and South Korea next week, when they will engage with their South Korean and Japanese counterparts in both bilateral and two-plus-two settings.

State Department spokesman Ned Price earlier said their visits to the countries will provide an important "ingredient" for a new U.S. policy toward North Korea.

Kim reiterated the visits will allow South Korea and Japan to offer their own input into U.S. policy on North Korea.

"Because we want to make sure to incorporate their input as we review all of the important aspects of our North Korea policy, and, in fact, when the secretary is in the region, I think this will be another great opportunity for our allies to provide senior-level input into our process," he said.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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