A senior South Korean foreign ministry official expressed hope on Wednesday that talks with his US counterpart will build the "foundation" for better bilateral ties going forward.

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam made the remarks at the start of his meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan in Seoul.

"I hope we can talk about a wide variety of the issues of mutual concern so that we can build the foundation" for the better relations between the allies, Lim said.

The last vice ministerial meeting between the two countries was held in June 2014. This meeting comes amid high tensions sparked by North Korea's continued provocations. High on the agenda will be discussing a coordinated approach toward the evolving threats from the North's missile and nuclear development programs.

Sullivan's remarks were not disclosed but he earlier said on Tuesday upon arriving in Seoul that his discussions here will focus on diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue.

They were also expected to discuss preparations for a summit between their leaders scheduled for early next month.

Lim's meeting with Sullivan will be followed by a separate meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinsuke Sugiyama and subsequently three-way talks involving the three senior diplomats later in the day. (Yonhap)