S. Korea's top nuclear envoy heads to Washington for talks on DPRK

SEOUL, March 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy headed to Washington to consult with U.S. officials on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) affairs, South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Noh Kyu-duk, the foreign ministry spokesman, told a press briefing that South Korea anticipated a rapid resumption of the DPRK-U.S. dialogue, saying the visit by Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, to Washington was part of the country's efforts for it.

Lee would meet with Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for DPRK, and other U.S. officials during his visit to Washington until Thursday, according to local media reports.

The South Korean diplomat would reportedly consult with his U.S. counterpart on measures to resume talks between the DPRK and the United States.

The second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended without a deal in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi last week.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said his country would seek to help resume dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, hoping that the DPRK-U.S. talks would be resumed as soon as possible.