S. Korean nuclear envoy, senior IAEA official discuss N.K. nuclear issue

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy met with a senior official of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday to discuss cooperation in dealing with the North Korean nuclear stalemate, the Seoul foreign ministry said.

Kim Gunn, Seoul’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met with Massimo Aparo, deputy director general of the IAEA, in Seoul and expressed hope for the agency’s secretariat to play an active role in sending a strong message condemning the North at the IAEA level if Pyongyang conducts its seventh nuclear test.

According to the ministry, Aparo shared concerns about the possibility of another North Korean nuclear test and explained that the IAEA is playing an active role in monitoring North Korean nuclear facilities and maintaining readiness for verification of related sites in the North.