Jan. 23 (UPI) — The United States and North Korea made progress during talks in Sweden over the weekend, according to South Korean press reports.
The U.S. special representative to North Korea Steve Biegun met with North Korean diplomat Choi Sun Hee and discussed economic development for the North in addition to denuclearization, Seoul Shinmun reported Tuesday.
The United States has repeatedly asked North Korea to provide a list pertaining to its nuclear arsenal; Pyongyang has stalled and has pressed Washington for sanctions relief instead.
But a South Korean foreign ministry official told the newspaper on Tuesday the “atmospherics were good” during talks.
“Officials spoke for a long period of time in the same space. We know it was a constructive meeting.”
A second South Korean diplomatic source said the two sides spoke on specific issues and built “mutual trust.”
South Korean news service Money Today reported more information is likely to follow after Seoul’s lead negotiator on the North Korean nuclear issue returns on Thursday.
Lee Do-hoon played a “coordinating role” during the U.S.-North Korea talks in Stockholm, and arranged a future trilateral meeting with the two sides, according to the report.
He then traveled to Switzerland to brief Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, who is attending the Davos Forum this week.
President Moon Jae-in confirmed Monday that South Korea was participating in the Sweden talks.
Last week in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold a second summit with Kim Jong Un before the end of February.
