Moon to Send Special Envoy to N.Korea

President Moon Jae-in talked with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump by phone on Thursday. Their discussion comes as the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang ends.

Moon briefed Trump on developments in inter-Korean talks with a high-level North Korean delegation during the Olympics, presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said.

Moon also thanked Trump for sending Vice President Mike Pence and his daughter Ivanka to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

"The two leaders agreed to continue their efforts to maintain the momentum for South-North dialogue so it may lead to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Yoon said in a statement. "Moon told Trump that he plans to send a special envoy to North Korea, who will reciprocate the visit by [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong] and confirm details of issues discussed during a high-level North Korean delegation's South Korea visit."

The White House said, "[Moon and Trump] noted their firm position that any dialogue with North Korea must be conducted with the explicit and unwavering goal of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization."

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert echoed that statement during a regular press briefing. "We share the principle of denuclearization and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and that hasn't changed," she said.