US, S. Korea discuss nuclear issue of DPRK

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A senior US diplomat has met with a South Korean envoy to discuss the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. They discussed a UN resolution punishing Pyongyang for its nuclear test and how to get the country back to the negotiating table.

US diplomat Kurt Campbell (L) and South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon shake hands prior to a meeeting in Seoul. Campbell said  Washington is willing to talk with North Korea "under the right  circumstances" but will enforce sanctions aimed at shutting down its  nuclear and missile programmes.(AFP/POOL/Lee Jae-Won)

Kurt Campbell, the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific affairs, and Seoul's nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac took up the issue of the DPRK on Monday.

Campbell said they needed to make sure that they were "coordinating extremely closely together as there were critical times ahead."

Wi said the priorities should be implementing the UN sanctions, which include ship searches, and resuming stalled nuclear talks.

The DPRK quit the six-party talks in April in anger over a UN rebuke after it launched a long-range rocket.

It has since conducted a nuclear test in May and a series of banned ballistic missile tests early this month.