South Korea’s nuclear envoy and a senior US Treasury official discussed cooperation in maintaining pressure on North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile development.
A South Korean ministry spokesman said: “The two shared the view that watertight coordination is under way between South Korea and the US in their sanctions and pressure on the North.
“They also agreed that they will maintain close cooperation to induce the North out to the path toward denuclearisation.”
Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met with Sigal Mandelker, US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in Seoul today.
Ms Mandelker was in South Korea for a two day stay as part of her East Asia tour that includes stops in China and Japan.
Her visit follows Wednesday’s announcement by the US of new sanctions aimed at stopping North Korea’s nuclear weapons development.
The US urged China and Russia to expel North Koreans raising funds for the programs.
The US Treasury imposed sanctions on nine entities, 16 people and six North Korean ships it accused of helping the weapons programs.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: “Treasury continues to systematically target individuals and entities financing the Kim regime and its weapons programs, including officials complicit in North Korean sanctions evasion schemes.
“The US government is targeting illicit actors in China, Russia, and elsewhere who are working on behalf of North Korean financial networks, and calling for their expulsion from the territories where they reside.”
These new sanctions on Pyongyang, are the eighth of their kind under the Donald Trump administration.
Ms Mandelker trip came at a time when North Korea issued an announcement to “all Koreans” on both sides of the peninsula’s border calling for reunification.
That followed yesterdays announcement by a high-ranking South Korean official said that now is the “best time” for the US and North Korea to hold talks following the peaceful mood created by the North’s planned participation in the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics.