Seoul, Feb 27 (IANS) The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the US spoke on the phone on Thursday over joint efforts for Pyongyang's denuclearization and a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said.

Lee Do-hoon and his US counterpart Stephen Biegun shared their assessments of the situation on the peninsula and discussed cooperation in making "substantive" progress in the peace efforts, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

Their talks were arranged at Biegun's request amid concerns that Pyongyang's focus on fending off the COVID-19 epidemic and US President Donald Trump's preparations for the November election could negatively affect the efforts to resume nuclear negotiations between the two countries.

Lee and Biegun last met in Washington in January.

--IANS ksk/