US Special Representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Stephen Biegun, left, talks with the Republic of Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha during their meeting at the foreign ministry in Seoul Friday, May 10, 2019. (JUNG YEON-JE / POOL PHOTO VIA AP)

SEOUL - Stephen Biegun, US special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) affairs, said Friday that the door remained open for the DPRK's return to negotiations.

Biegun made the remarks during his courtesy call to the Republic of Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. The US diplomat arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for his four-day trip.

The remark came a day after the DPRK fired two unidentified projectiles, presumed to be short-range missiles, from its northwestern region. 

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Five days earlier, Pyongyang also fired several short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast.

ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha emphasized the importance for earnest dialogues between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington for the complete denuclearization and the lasting peace settlement

Kang said the DPRK's recent projectile launches were an act that is of no help for the improvement of inter-Korean relations and efforts to defuse military tensions on the peninsula, expressing her worry about it.

The top ROK diplomat emphasized the importance for earnest dialogues between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington for the complete denuclearization and the lasting peace settlement.

After the courtesy call, Biegun presided over a working group meeting together with Lee Do-hoon, the ROK’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, according to the Seoul ministry.

The working group was launched last November to coordinate between Seoul and Washington the Korean Peninsula issues such as denuclearization, sanctions and inter-Korean cooperation.

US Special Representative for the  Democratic People's Republic of Korea Stephen Biegun, right, and the Republic of Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon talk during their meeting at the foreign ministry in Seoul, May 10, 2019.  (JUNG YEON-JE / POOL PHOTO VIA AP)

During the meeting, Lee and Biegun made in-depth discussions on ways to advance the complete denuclearization of and the settlement of permanent peace on the peninsula, sharing their assessment on recent situations, including the DPRK's projectile launches.

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The working group meeting was attended by ROK officials from the defense and unification ministries and the presidential Blue House, according to local media reports.

From the US side, participants were Alex Wong, US deputy assistant secretary of state for DPRK affairs, and Allison Hooker, director of the White House National Security Council for the DPRK.