In this file photo, the Republic of Korea's and US soldiers stand guard next to United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) conference buildings at the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Paju, the ROK, on April 18, 2018. (SEONG-JOON CHO / BLOOMBERG)

SEOUL - Top nuclear envoys of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States held phone talks on Wednesday over issues on the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

Lee Do-hoon, ROK's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked over phone with Deputy US Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who doubles as the chief US nuclear negotiator

Lee Do-hoon, ROK's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked over phone with Deputy US Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who doubles as the chief US nuclear negotiator.

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Lee and Biegun shared view over recent situations of the Korean Peninsula, agreeing to the need to rapidly resume talks between Seoul and Pyongyang and between Washington and Pyongyang in a bid to make substantive progress for the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the lasting peace settlement.

The nuclear envoys discussed how to create conditions and push for the complete denuclearization and the peace settlement, the Seoul ministry said.

The two sides agreed to more closely communicate and cooperate on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) issues bilaterally and multilaterally by actively making use of the scheduled international diplomatic events.

Denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States have been stalled since the second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump ended without an agreement in February last year at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

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Meanwhile, ROK First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun had a phone conversation with Biegun, the first such talks since Choi took office on Aug 18. Choi is the former presidential secretary for peace planning.

Choi and Biegun agreed to meet as early as possible to discuss overall bilateral issues and regional situations, the Seoul ministry said.  

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