"In his meetings, Deputy Secretary Biegun reaffirmed the strength of the US-ROK [South Korea] Alliance, US support for inter-Korean cooperation, and continued US readiness to engage in dialogue with the DPRK [North Korea]," the release said on Thursday.
The US senior diplomat's visit to South Korea comes after Pyongyang cut off communications with its southern neighbour and blew up the joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong in mid-June, stopping short of redeploying troops to the demilitarized zones at the border.
Biegun arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a two-day working visit and held meetings with South Korean high officials, including Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon, according to the release.
"Deputy Secretary Biegun also discussed security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, including collaboration among like-minded countries and countering efforts by those who seek to undermine good governance and the rules-based international order,” the release said.
The US official also commended South Korea for serving as a model in COVID-19 response "while upholding democratic values.“
