US envoy for North Korea meets with key Yoon officials

Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin, left, talks with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim during their meeting at Park's temporary office in Seoul, April 20. Yonhap

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim met with key members of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's foreign policy team Thursday to coordinate on North Korea policy, officials said.

Kim, who is on a five-day visit to the country, had a breakfast meeting with Kim Sung-han, chief of the Yoon transition team's foreign policy subcommittee, followed by a separate meeting with unification minister nominee Kwon Young-se.

During the meetings, the two sides are likely to have discussed the allies' response to North Korean threats amid concern the communist regime could stage major provocations, such as a nuclear weapons or intercontinental ballistic missile test, ahead of Yoon's inauguration next month.

Won Il-hee, a transition team spokesperson, confirmed the meetings took place but declined to provide details, citing their confidential nature.

Kim Sung-han is considered Yoon's likely pick for national security adviser. He is also Yoon's childhood friend and foreign policy mentor as well as a former vice foreign minister.

Meanwhile, the U.S. envoy has held wide-ranging meetings in Seoul, including with foreign minister nominee Park Jin, Wednesday, and a private dinner with Yoon and others, Tuesday. (Yonhap)