Deliberately or by happenstance, Seoul has enjoyed valuable face time with senior diplomats representing two major players in the Korean security crisis this week, while also fostering direct contact between them.  

U.S. special envoy for North Korea policy Sung Kim and Russian vice foreign minister for Asia-Pacific affairs Igor Morgulov both arrived in Seoul last weekend for separate talks with their ROK counterpart Noh Kyu-duk. 

Between Noh’s meetings with Kim and Mogulov, the senior Russian and American diplomats held their own bilateral discussions, though details were scant. Despite speculation that the three diplomats