S. Korean, Japanese, US diplomats discuss N.Korean threat

Senior diplomats from South Korea, Japan and the US met in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss and take a coordinated stance towards the threats posed by North Korea's weapons tests.

After the trilateral meeting concludes, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam is scheduled to hold a joint press conference with his counterparts, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama and US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan.

Sullivan said in a statement after arriving in Seoul on Wednesday that the three-way talks would focus on joint "diplomatic efforts" to address the challenges posed by North Korea, Efe news reported citing Yonhap news agency.

Sullivan also said on Tuesday in Tokyo, where he already met Sugiyama, that Washington "does not rule out" the possibility of a direct dialogue with Pyongyang, despite the ongoing tension between the two countries.

The repeated weapon tests by North Korea's military have escalated tensions on the Korean peninsula and worsened the verbal war between Washington and Pyongyang over the last year.

However, despite the harsh tone used by US President Donald Trump in his statements to North Korea, Washington has insisted in recent days that it will continue to prioritise diplomatic dialogue over a military option.

Apart from the ongoing trilateral meeting, the South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister would also schedule bilateral meetings with his Japanese and US counterparts.

The two-way meeting between Lim and Sullivan will focus on the preparations for Trump's visit to South Korea between November 7 and 8, which is the first official visit of a US President to the Asian country in 25 years.

--IANS

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