▲ South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their talks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 5, 2022, in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-consultations

S. Korea, U.S. voice regret over N. Korea in high-level phone talks

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States held phone talks Friday and expressed regret over North Korea's rejection of Seoul's offer to provide economic aid in exchange for denuclearization steps, the foreign ministry here said.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, discussed the matter hours after reports of Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissing President Yoon Suk-yeol's "audacious" initiative as the "height of absurdity."

The two sides "expressed regret" over her statement, the ministry said in a press release.

They also exchanged views on the security situation on the peninsula especially ahead of the start of the allies' annual combined military drills next week.

They agreed to continue close cooperation to deter North Korea from taking provocative acts and lead it to return to dialogue, it added.

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