The US point man for North Korea is due to visit South Korea next week as it pushes for a resumption of talks with the North ahead of the US election and despite few signs of any progress.
US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who led working-level negotiations with the North Koreans, will be among several State Department officials holding talks with South Korean counterparts on Tuesday, a government official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity as the trip has not been announced.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should meet again before the US election in November, and on Thursday, South Korea's foreign minister said Seoul is pushing for a resumption of US-North Korea talks.
Biegun has said there is time for both sides to re-engage and "make substantial progress," but the coronavirus pandemic would make an in-person summit difficult before the November election.