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North Korean deputy UN ambassador Jang Il-hun (right) and Joseph Detrani

North Korean deputy foreign minister Han Song-ryol headed home after behind-the-scene meetings in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 21-22 with Robert Gallucci, the US State Department’s special envoy on the North Korean nuclear issue.

Han strongly hinted the dialogue was of an “exploratory” nature ahead of the arrival of a new US administration following the Nov. 8 presidential election.

“We are exchanging views on issues of interest,” he said.

Leon Sigal, director of the Social Science Research Council‘s Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project, told Yonhap News the two sides focused on the North Korean nuclear and missile issues, adding that he felt some progress had been made.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs was dismissive of the encounter in remarks on Oct. 23.

“The US government has explained that these discussions have no connection whatsoever with it,” it said.

In a somewhat testy response, the ministry also said, “The fact that North Korea sends sitting officials even to Track II (civilian) meetings is evidence of its diplomatic isolation as a result of unprecedented sanctions and pressure from the international community.”

“South Korea and the US will continue imposing forceful sanctions and pressure on North Korea,” it asserted.

In contrast with other forms of Track II dialogue between North Korea and the US, which typically take the form of academic conferences, the meeting consisted entirely of bilateral encounters, with veteran participants who are well acquainted with each other. The five representatives from the North Korean side included Han, who is seen as one of the Foreign Ministry’s leading US experts, and deputy UN ambassador Jang Il-hun. On the US side, a number of former officials and experts attended, including Gallucci - a pivotal figure in the 1994 Agreed Framework reached by North Korea and the US in Geneva - and Joseph Detrani, former director of the National Counterproliferation Center for the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Sources said the US attendees were not assigned any authority to negotiate by the Barack Obama administration or by the camp of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who is likely to win the election next month.

“Clinton’s camp is still pretty cautious about direct contact with North Korea,” said one expert, adding that Gallucci and other attendees would “try to influence the next administration’s Korean Peninsula policy planning by communicating the outcome of these discussions to the transition team once the election is over.”

Indeed, Sigal commented that the next administration would need to “reconsider” its North Korea policy.

“As figures outside the government, we are working to find relevant areas where we can make suggestions to the next administration,” he said.

By Lee Je-hun, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]