The United States asked South Korea Tuesday to cooperate with its push for financial sanctions on North Korea aimed at isolating those involved in Pyongyang's illicit activities from the international financial system, Seoul officials said.
The request was made in a closed-door meeting between Robert Einhorn, the U.S. State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, and South Korea's key policymakers in charge of international financial affairs in the government complex in Gwacheon, south of Seoul.
"During the meeting, the U.S. official explained to us about financial sanctions in connection with North Korea and Iran. They wanted our government to join the moves, asking for cooperation, "said Kim Ik-joo, chief of the international financial bureau at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. He did not go further into details.
Few details are known about what measures the U.S. envoy brought to the table. Before entering the talks, Einhorn was short with words only to say to reporters, "We are going to have good conversation here."
Experts and policymakers close to the matter, however, say that the two sides could have talks on sharing information related to the North's illicit activities including dollar counterfeiting and money laundering.
"Financial sanctions could be more effective when there is cooperation from other major countries rather than a move by the U.S. by itself," a finance ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "The area where we could cooperate with the U.S. is to share information related to the North's dollar counterfeiting or money laundering."
The meeting comes after the U.S. envoy said on Monday -- after holding talks with key foreign ministry officials -- that the United States will
soon announce new country-specific measures targeting those involved in North Korea's illicit activities.
Einhorn arrived in Seoul on Sunday along with other officials including Daniel Glaser, deputy assistant secretary of the treasury for terrorist
financing and financial crimes, to have talks on the new sanctions that the U.S. is putting together to punish North Korea over the deadly sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March.