South Korea's top nuclear envoy is likely to visit Moscow next week to meet with his Russian counterpart and discuss North Korea's denuclearization and other peninsula issues, sources said Friday.

Lee Do-hoon, representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will meet with Igor Morgulov next Friday, according to the sources, amid a stalemate in the nuclear negotiations between the US and North Korea since working-level talks in Stockholm last month.

Lee is also expected to participate in the three-day 2019 Moscow Nonproliferation Conference, which will kick off Thursday, and could have talks with officials from the US and North Korea.

 

The so-called Track 1.5 semi-official discussions have served as a chance for the US and North Korea to sound out each other's position at times of high tension.

In 2017, North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui -- then director-general of the North American affairs bureau at the North's foreign ministry -- took part in the conference. It is yet unclear who will be attending the forum from North Korea this year.

Lee's Moscow trip will come amid little progress in the North's nuclear negotiations with the US, with Pyongyang ramping up pressure on Washington to come up with a new proposal.

On Thursday, North Korea fired what it called "super-large multiple rocket launchers" toward the East Sea, marking the 12th weapons test the North has conducted this year. (Yonhap)