Nuke envoys of ROK, US hold phone talks over DPRK leader's New Year speech

SEOUL - Top nuclear envoys of Republic of Korea and the United States on Wednesday held phone talks over the New Year's speech by Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Lee Do-hoon, ROK's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked over phone with Stephen Biegun, US special representative for DPRK policy, for about 30 minutes.

During the phone talks, Lee and Biegun assessed the DPRK leader's New Year address, in which Kim said he would go toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and was ready to meet with US President Donald Trump at any time.

Lee and Biegun shared information on recent contact between Pyongyang and Washington, according to the Seoul ministry.

Based on it, the two nuclear envoys discussed ways to pursue the denuclearized Korean Peninsula and build peace regime, while scheduling the future working-group meeting between Seoul and Washington.

The last working-group meeting was held in Seoul last month. The working group was launched in November to regularly communicate on DPRK issues.