ROK envoy holds phone talks with US counterpart on Korean Peninsula denuke

SEOUL -- The nuclear envoy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Tuesday held phone talks with his US counterpart over the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization, according to ROK Foreign Ministry.

Lee Do-hoon, ROK's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked over phone with Stephen Biegun, US special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) affairs.

During the phone conversation, the nuclear envoys discussed recent situations on the peninsula and actual measures to completely denuclearize the peninsula and settle permanent peace, the ministry said.

The two diplomats agreed to meet in the near future for further consultations.

The phone talks came after the DPRK fired two unidentified projectiles into the eastern waters from its west inland area earlier in the day.

It marked the DPRK's 10th test-firing this year and the latest launch was conducted on Aug 24 when the country fired what it called "super-large" multiple rocket launchers off the east coast.

Choe Son-hui, the DPRK's first vice foreign minister, said in a statement that her country was willing to sit with the United States at an agreed-upon time and place in late September to comprehensively discuss issues the two sides had taken up, according to the Korean Central News Agency on Monday night.

Biegun said during his visit to Seoul last month that the United States was ready to engage in working-level talks with the DPRK for the peninsula's denuclearization.