US, South Korea To Consider Ending North Korea Coordination Group

The working group was set up in 2018 to help US and South Korea coordinate their approaches to various issues amid a flurry of diplomatic engagement with North Korea at the time.

The United States and South Korea have agreed to consider scrapping a working group established to coordinate North Korea policy, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after it became seen as a way for Washington to block inter-Korean projects. During talks between US special representative for North Korea Sung Kim and his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk on Monday, the two agreed to "look into terminating the working group" while reinforcing coordination at other levels, the ministry said in a statement. On Monday, Kim said he was willing to meet with the North Koreans "anywhere, anytime without preconditions" and that he looks forward to a "positive response soon". He was scheduled to meet with South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young, who handles relations with the North, on Tuesday. The working group was set up in 2018 to help the two allies coordinate their approaches to issues such as denuclearisation talks, humanitarian aid, sanctions enforcement and inter-Korean relations amid a flurry of diplomatic engagement with North Korea at the time.