Newly appointed US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who also serves as the US special representative for North Korea, will not visit Pyongyang as he concludes a visit to China, South Korea and Japan to discuss North Korea's denuclearization, media reported on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th December, 2019) Newly appointed US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who also serves as the US special representative for North Korea, will not visit Pyongyang as he concludes a visit to China, South Korea and Japan to discuss North Korea's denuclearization, media reported on Friday.According to the Yonhap news agency, Biegun did not board an Air China plane scheduled to fly from Beijing to Pyongyang, indicating that he would not be visiting North Korea.
"In accordance with his schedule, Deputy Secretary Biegun is returning home today," a South Korean government official is quoted by the agency as telling reporters.
Biegun's visit to the region follows increasingly provocative dialogue between both Washington and Pyongyang over recent missile tests by North Korea. Earlier this month, Pyongyang said that it was suspending denuclearization talks with Washington.
"The key point now is that we are making all-out efforts to maintain dialogue momentum between North Korea and the U.S.," the official added, as quoted by the agency.
Biegun was appointed as deputy secretary of state in a Senate vote on Thursday evening. The confirmation of his new position came during a trip to Asia to discuss North Korea's denuclearization.
On Thursday, Biegun met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui. Russia and China have submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls for easing some of the sanctions imposed on North Korea, as a means of ensuring Pyongyang's denuclearization.
The UN Security Council re-imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 following nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang. Since then, multiple resolutions have been passed extending and tightening sanctions.
