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Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon.

Lee Do-hoon, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will be meeting on Sept. 3 with Igor Morgulov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs and senior representative to the Six-Party Talks, to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue. Senior representatives to the Six-Party Talks are meeting with growing frequency as attention focuses on whether North Korea-US working-level negotiations will resume.

A South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained on Aug. 30 that Lee will be arriving on Sept. 2 in Vladivostok – which is hosting the Eastern Economic Forum from Sept. 4 to 6 – and meeting on Sept. 3 with Morgulov for discussions between the South Korean and Russian senior representatives to the Six-Party Talks. During their meeting, the two representatives appear likely to share assessments of the Korean Peninsula situation and discuss related topics, including the swift resumption of North Korea-US working-level negotiations.

With Morgulov having been part of a Russian Foreign Ministry delegation that visited Pyongyang on Aug. 14, the two representatives also appear likely to share the outcome of that group’s visit during the meeting. The South Korean government is reportedly predicting that Russia could play a relatively constructive role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

Meanwhile, Lee is also reportedly planning to visit Washington, DC, in early or mid-September for discussions with US State Department Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun. Lee is also currently weighing a visit to China and an additional US visit around the time of the UN General Assembly session in late September. While the position of Chinese special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs is currently held by Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, some are predicting the possibility that another individual could take over related duties.

On Aug. 29, Lee met for discussions at the Seoul Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex with Kenji Kanasugi, Asia-Oceania bureau chief for the Japanese Foreign Ministry and Japan’s senior representative to the Six-Party Talks. Lee also held discussions with Biegun’s during the latter’s four-day South Korea visit on Aug. 21.

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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