Washington's new special envoy for North Korea will soon be visiting America's allies in Northeast Asia.<br />With some critics questioning his fit for the job given his lack of diplomatic experience,... there's attention on whether he can break the stalemate between North Korea and the U.S.<br />Lee Ji-won reports. <br /> South Korean news outlets are reporting that Stephen Biegun will soon embark on a trip to Northeast Asia, which will include stops in Seoul and Tokyo.<br />This will be his first time in the region as the new U.S. special envoy for North Korea since he assumed the role last month. <br /> His South Korean counterpart is the special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs in the foreign affairs ministry, Lee Do-hoon. <br />South Korea's foreign affairs ministry told Arirang News on Monday that the meeting between the two diplomats is currently being scheduled and that further details will be shared once confirmed.<br /><br />Biegun previously served as an Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, a foreign policy advisor to members of Congress and was an executive at Ford Motor Company.<br />While critics of the administration claim he's unsuitable for the position, considering how he was focused for much of his career on Europe,... some beg to differ. <br /><br /> CNBC cited Brett Bruen, a former director of global engagement at the White House as saying Biegun may have the "precise quality that's needed during the fraught negotiations" -- the ability to talk with President Donald Trump.<br />Bruen says no one in the State Department has the ability to convey the complexity of the denuclearization negotiations to the president in a way that he understands and will go along with. <br /><br /> The former New Mexico governor and UN ambassador, Bill Richardson said Biegun's skills at Ford will come in handy,... but he should also learn the North Koreans' negotiating style -- which Richardson called wily. <br />He also suggested the two words Biegun should remember during his talks with the North are "timelines" and "verification".<br /><br /> With the denuclearization process between Pyongyang and Washington seemingly at a standstill,... it remains to be seen whether Biegun's trip to Asia can move the needle forward. <br />Lee Ji-won, Arirang News. <br />
