2010-08-03 14:32

SEOUL -- The top US envoy on arms control met with South Korean finance ministry officials Tuesday to discuss financial sanctions to be soon imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to halt its allegedly illicit activities for nuclear proliferation, local media reported.

Robert Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, held a closed-door meeting with Kim Ik-joo, head of the international finance bureau at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, on the third and the last day of his stay in Seoul.

The US envoy explained to his South Korean counterpart Washington's stance on new sanctions on the DPRK and Iran and called for Seoul's cooperation and information sharing, according to Yonhap News Agency in Seoul.

"During the meeting, the US official explained to us about financial sanctions in connection with North Korea (DPRK) and Iran. They wanted our government to join the moves, asking for cooperation," Yonhap quoted Kim as saying.

Einhorn's three-day visit comes a day after he announced that the United States will carry out in the next several weeks fresh financial sanctions aimed at ending Pyongyang's proliferation activities and other illicit activities that help fund its nuclear and missile programs.

It follows an announcement two weeks ago by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that a new set of sanctions are being put together by Washington as part of punitive measures against Pyongyang for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. The DPRK has repeatedly denied the charge.

The envoy visited Seoul along with Daniel Glaser, deputy assistant secretary of the treasury for terrorist financing and financial crimes.