United States Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun is set to arrive in South Korea on Sunday amid heightened tensions after North Korea said it has conducted another crucial test at its satellite test site.
 
Biegun will hold talks with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon on Monday morning at Seoul's Foreign Ministry.
 
The two officials are likely to share assessments on recent developments at North Korea's Sohae missile engine test site in Dongchang-ri and discuss ways to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table.
 
After talks, Lee and Biegun are expected to issue a message for North Korea in a news conference.
 
During the three-day trip to South Korea, Biegun will reportedly meet with Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young, while possibly seeking to contact North Korea at the inter-Korean border truce village of Panmunjom.
 
The U.S. official will reportedly fly to Japan on Tuesday afternoon to meet with Shigeki Takizaki, the Japanese Foreign Ministry's director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.
 
According to Japanese broadcaster NHK on Sunday, Beigun told reporters before leaving Washington that the United States has maintained its stance regarding the denuclearization of North Korea and that the regime is also aware of that.
 
Asked about the possibility of his meeting with North Korean officials at Panmunjeom, the U.S. official declined to comment.