Moscow, Seoul favor concerted efforts on North Korean settlement - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and the South Korean Foreign Ministry’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon spoke out in favor of concerted efforts by all parties concerned on resolving the situation in the region during the consultations on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. "[The two sides] discussed in detail the developments around the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said. [They] expressed the support for the positive dynamics of the situation and highlighted the need to step up concerted efforts by all parties concerned aimed at launching the process of the political and diplomatic settlement of the problems in the subregion." Korean Peninsula situation Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated in November 2017 when North Korea conducted a missile launch, the first since September 15. After the launch, Pyongyang announced that the Hwasong-15 missile was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, while the entire US territory was within its range. In response to that, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution providing for tougher sanctions against Pyongyang. However, the beginning of 2018 saw a thaw in relations between Pyongyang and Seoul, while later on there were some signs of easing tensions in relations between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea’s representatives took part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea in February and March. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held two meetings - on April 27 and on May 26. The United States and North Korea are currently in talks on a possible top-level meeting, which may take place in Singapore on June 12. Read more