Amid stalled denuclearization talks between Pyeongyang and Washington,... and talks of a possible visit to Seoul by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,... Seoul and Washington's top diplomats got together to talk about the current situation. <br />Lee Ji-won has more. <br />South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss their joint efforts to denuclearize North Korea.<br /> According to Seoul's foreign ministry, Kang and Pompeo met in Washington on Thursday,... after attending former U.S. President George H.W. Bush's funeral.<br />The diplomats reaffirmed their close cooperation toward the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.<br /> The two sides also promised to continue their work toward reaching a satisfactory agreement on defense cost sharing.<br />The meeting comes two months after their previous one in October,... when Pompeo visited Seoul right after his fourth trip to North Korea.<br /><br />And as Washington is consulting Seoul on its denuclearization talks with North Korea,... Pyeongyang and Beijing are also maintaining their close ties. <br /><br /> North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho arrived in Beijing on Thursday upon his Chinese counterpart's invitation. <br />Ri is expected to have met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Friday morning, and discussed Pyeongyang-Beijing ties, the North's denuclearization efforts and Chinese President Xi Jinping's summit with the U.S. President on the sidelines of the G20 summit last week. <br />Some watchers say their meeting is seen as a way to reaffirm their alliance, and to urge China to play a more active role in the Pyeongyang-Washington talks. <br /><br /> A senior official at Seoul's foreign affairs ministry said that the ministry is closely watching how North Korea and China have been increasing their high-level exchanges this year. <br /> The official added that Seoul is closely cooperating with Beijing on the efforts towards denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula. <br /> There is speculation that Ri might also meet President Xi before leaving on Saturday. <br />Lee Ji-won, Arirang News. <br />
