Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S. vow to keep close tabs on N. Korea's possible provocations

SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States met in Seoul on Thursday to discuss security issues on the Korean Peninsula amid concerns over North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, and his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, shared their assessments of the regional security situation at the foreign ministry building, following the North's recent missile launches.

"The two sides agreed to respond sternly to any provocations from Pyongyang under a robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture while keeping a close eye on the possibility of the North's further provocations," the ministry said in a press release.

They also agreed to step up efforts to dissuade the North from developing nuclear weapons and reiterated their calls for the international community to push for a thorough implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, including the repatriation of North Korean workers abroad.

Later in the day, Kim is set to meet his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, for discussions on North Korea. The three nuclear envoys will also hold a trilateral meeting Friday.

Pyongyang has recently escalated tensions on the peninsula with a barrage of short-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles in response to the allies' joint military exercises last month.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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