New york: Senior officials from South Korea and the United States engaged in discussions focusing on the Korean Peninsula and the challenges confronting the global disarmament and nonproliferation regime, as reported by Seoul's foreign ministry on Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeong Yeon-doo, South Korea's vice foreign minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence, met with Christopher Yeaw, the U.S. assistant secretary for the bureau of arms control and nonproliferation at the State Department. Their meeting took place in New York on Tuesday, coinciding with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference. Both parties exchanged views on key issues pertaining to disarmament and nonproliferation and underscored the importance of bilateral coordination in addressing the complex challenges faced by the disarmament and nonproliferation regime. They committed to working closely throughout the discussions at the NPT review conference.

In separate talks with Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olexandr Mischenko, Jeong discussed bilateral relations and regional developments. Jeong highlighted South Korea's ongoing support for Ukraine, which includes efforts to address the humanitarian crisis and assist in reconstruction. Mischenko expressed appreciation for these efforts and expressed hope for continued cooperation between the two countries at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

The discussions also covered the resolution of the issue of North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine, in line with international law and humanitarian principles. Additionally, Jeong held bilateral meetings with senior officials from the U.N. Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs, as well as representatives from Australia, Vietnam, the Netherlands, and Sweden. These meetings focused on enhancing cooperation and addressing pending issues.