U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights Robert King has met with a group of Korean Americans in the U.S. who are seeking reunions with separated family members in North Korea.

King scheduled the meeting, which was also attended by two U.S. officials and 15 members from the group.

During the meeting in Washington, the two sides discussed the experiences of ethnic Koreans living in the U.S. whose families remain in the North.

Lee Cha-hee, the head of the group, asked the U.S. government to appoint a coordinator to address the issue, noting that Koreans possessing U.S. citizenship are excluded from inter-Korean family reunion talks. King reportedly promised active support on the matter.

The last such meeting occurred in 2001 with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell.