South Korean President Moon Jae-in is hoping to use his first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden this week to revive long-stalled talks with North Korea and urge the White House to embrace the issue with more urgency.
South Korean officials say they were heartened by the new administration's recent policy review, which called for a focus on practical diplomatic steps to reduce tensions while maintaining the final goal of removing North Korea's nuclear weapons.
But amid the coronavirus pandemic, domestic economic and political challenges, and foreign policy crises elsewhere, the Biden administration has not signaled North Korea is a top priority, potentially complicating Moon's hopes of cementing his legacy.