WASHINGTON, Safar 10, 1436, Dec. 2, 2014, SPA -- A top U.S. envoy on North Korea issues will visit three East Asian partners this week to consult with officials and discuss policies towards Pyongyang, the US State Department announced Tuesday. Ambassador Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, will be in Seoul on Thursday to meet with government officials, including South Korea’s envoy for Korean Peninsula affairs, Hwang Joon-kook, the department said in a statement. Kim then will travel to Japan to meet with officials in Tokyo on Monday. He will participate in meetings on the U.S.-Japan alliance and other related matters on December 9, the statement said. On December 10, the senior U.S. diplomat will be in Beijing to hold meetings with government officials, including his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, the department said. Kim will return to Washington on December 12. --SPA 23:21 LOCAL TIME 20:21 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w