First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun has met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in Washington and discussed the bilateral alliance, North Korea and other issues, officials said Wednesday.

The talks took place Tuesday (local time) as Kim was visiting Washington to attend a meeting of foreign and defense officials of the two countries on discussing the allies’ efforts to deter North Korea’s military threats, known as the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG).

At the one-on-one talks, Kim explained to Campbell South Korea’s new unification doctrine, unveiled by President Yoon Suk Yeol on the occasion of this year’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15, the foreign ministry said in a release.

Campbell reaffirmed the U.S.’ support for Yoon’s goal to open a “serious and sustained” diplomatic path forward with North Korea.

They also agreed to beef up high-level talks for close coordination to implement key outcomes reached from their bilateral and trilateral summits with Japan, th
e ministry said.

The fifth EDSCG meeting will take place on Wednesday.

Source: Yonhap News Agency