U.S. special envoy visits border village along Koreas
SEOUL, South Korea — AU.S. special envoy for North Korea on Thursday visited a border village the rival Koreas have been demilitarizing as part of steps to reduce military tensions amid a larger diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear crisis.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul did not provide details about Stephen Biegun’s visit to Panmunjom. He wasn’t expected to meet with North Korean officials at the village, which is often used for diplomacy between the allies and North Korea.
Biegun said after arriving in South Korea on Wednesday that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve an impasse in nuclear negotiations.
North Korea hasn’t responded to Biegun’s comments. The North’s state media recently warned that the United States’ continued commitment to sanctions and criticism about the North’s human rights record could “block the path to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula forever.”
During his four-day visit to South Korea, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies’ policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions.
The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June.