Top U.S. diplomat for East Asia meets South Korean officials

U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, David Stilwell, held multiple meetings on Wednesday with South Korean officials in Seoul. Stilwell met South Korea's deputy chief of National Security Office, Kim Hyun-chong, and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Lee Do-hoon, at South Korea's Foreign Ministry.

After the meeting, Kim said he discussed North Korea's nuclear programme and Japan's export curbs. Kim also said he is aware of the 'seriousness of this issue' in regards to Japan restricting exports of high-tech materials to South Korea. relationship between Tokyo and Seoul took a sharp turn for the worse this month after the export curbs, which are threatening global supplies of memory chips and smartphones.