The United States is actively ensuring the return of an American soldier who had crossed into North Korea, a senior official said on Thursday. “We will continue to work hard to ascertain the safety and return of Private Travis King,” U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Sung Kim said ahead of a trilateral meeting with Japanese and South Korean counterparts to discuss how to counter the threat of North Korea.
The meeting is the latest sign that Washington and Seoul are maintaining a united front against the North after denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington stalled this year. The Trump administration has renewed its hopes for resumption negotiations, but critics say it should take more time to see tangible progress.
In a meeting with the leaders of South Korea and Japan, Biegun also discussed the issue of North Korea’s ongoing violations of international sanctions, the State Department said in a statement. “Our goal remains the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK as agreed to by Chairman Kim in Singapore,” it added.
The two leaders agreed to hold the next trilateral meeting in September in the resort town of Karuizawa in Japan, where they will discuss issues related to North Korea, such as the North’s recent ballistic missile tests and nuclear weapons program, the State Department said. The leaders also expressed their shared commitment to continuing the dialogue and resolving the issue of the repatriation of missing American soldiers from the DPRK, it added.
Biegun also called China’s top diplomat, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Liu Zhanshu, to discuss recent developments in North Korea. The call came amid growing concerns over the North’s continued ballistic missile tests and other provocations despite President Donald Trump’s promise of a denuclearization summit with Kim Jong Un.
Biegun emphasized to Liu that the United States will not accept the DPRK’s destabilizing activities as “normal.” U.S. observers expect Biden, who took over as vice president in January, to take a middle path between former President Donald Trump’s direct dealings with the reclusive state and Obama’s policy of “strategic patience.” The U.S. has not given up on diplomacy with the North and hopes to resume the process as the hermit country opens for business after a months-long pandemic. But experts say the North must show concrete progress in dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile programs before the United States eases any sanctions. The Trump administration has insisted that it will not lift sanctions until the DPRK makes a credible offer of denuclearization. The State Department has said that it will seek “maximum pressure” on the North until it takes steps to do so. But some analysts say the United States may need more time to see results.