South Korea's top nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon will visit the United States this week for talks with his U.S. counterpart on North Korea issues.

The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Lee will visit Washington from Wednesday to Saturday to meet with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who also serves as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea.

The planned meeting comes amid heightened tensions after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened to take a "shocking" action and to unveil a "new strategic weapon" in the near future in protest of a deadlock in denuclearization talks with the U.S. 

Lee and Biegun are expected to share assessments of recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and discuss cooperation on ways to achieve the North's denuclearization. 

During the U.S. trip, Lee will meet with other officials from the Donald Trump administration as well and attend Biegun's inauguration ceremony for his ascension to the deputy secretary of state post on Friday.