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Blue House National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong and US Special Representative to North Korea Stephen Biegun at the Blue House on Dec. 16. (Blue House photo pool)

As North Korea’s declared end-of-the-year deadline for its denuclearization talks with the US draws closer, Stephen Biegun, the US State Department’s special representative for North Korea and the nominee for deputy secretary of state, openly proposed meeting with the North Koreans. “It is time for us to do our jobs. Let’s get this done. We are here [in Seoul], and you know how to reach us,” said Biegun, who is currently visiting South Korea, on Dec. 16.

On Monday morning, Biegun met with Lee Do-hoon, Seoul’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs and Biegun’s counterpart in the North Korean nuclear negotiations, at the headquarters of South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul. During a brief press conference following the meeting, Biegun said that the US has “offered any number of creative ways to proceed with feasible steps and flexibility in our negotiations to reach balanced agreements that meet the objectives of both sides.”

During a closed-door luncheon with South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul on the same day, Biegun reiterated that the US was prepared to reach a balanced agreement through feasible steps and flexible measures. The Unification Ministry also reported that Biegun said the US would use dialogue to achieve the clear promises that the two sides’ leaders had made during their summit in Singapore in June 12, 2018.

During the press conference on Monday, Biegun emphasized that he wants direct dialogue with his North Korean counterparts in the negotiations, such as North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, during his time in South Korea. “Let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea. It is time for us to do our jobs. Let’s get this done,” Biegun said.

“The United States does not have a deadline,” Biegun said, indicating that the Americans weren’t tying themselves to North Korea’s stated end-of-the-year deadline, while also underlining that the US’ goal is to keep the promises made in the historic summit in Singapore. Biegun remained in South Korea until the morning of Dec. 17.

One notable aspect of Biegun’s message to North Korea is the phrase “feasible steps.” While he has previously highlighted “flexible measures” and “balanced agreements” in the US-North Korea negotiations, he has never openly used the phrase “feasible steps.” These remarks presumably mean that the US is willing to accept the “step-by-step approach” that North Korea has been pushing for. But since Biegun didn’t mention halting South Korea-US military exercises or easing or lifting sanctions, which are the central items of interest for North Korea, it’s unclear whether Pyongyang will agree to the call for dialogue.

During a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House on Monday, Biegun said that the US won’t abandon its commitment to doing its best to achieve the historic objectives of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and building peace there through dialogue and negotiations. An official at the Blue House reported that Moon asked Biegun to keep striving to make progress on the Korean Peninsula Peace Process. “The two of them share the view that we’re in a grave situation that permits both optimism and pessimism,” the official said.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer, and Kim So-youn and Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporters

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