S. Korea, U.S. to hold 'two plus two' security meeting next week

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States plan to hold an inaugural group meeting of their working-level officials handling diplomatic and military affairs next week, a government source here said Tuesday.

The Pol-Mil consultation, better known as the "two-plus-two meeting," will take
place in Washington on Monday, attended by Chang Ho-jin, director-general at the
foreign ministry, and Ryu Je-seung, head of the defense ministry's policy
planning bureau.
Their American counterparts are Joseph Donovan, deputy assistant secretary for
East Asian and Pacific affairs and Michael Schiffer, deputy assistant secretary
of defense for East Asia.
"The two sides will review the pending diplomatic and security issues of mutual
concern," the source said. "They have yet to discuss whether to regularize the
meeting."
The allies' diplomatic and military authorities have held their own regular
consultation sessions but it would mark the first time that such a two-plus-two
meeting will be held.
President Lee Myung-bak and President Barack Obama agreed in their summit last
month in Seoul to hold a two-plus-two meeting among their top diplomats and
military officials next year on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the
outbreak of the Korean War. The three-year war between North Korea backed by
China and South Korea supported by the U.S. and other allies ended in an
armistice.
The exact time and venue has not been decided yet, with the
director-general-level officials expected to consult on the issue in next week's
session.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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