South Korea and the United States are in consultations to create a new diplomatic channel to focus on global economic issues, officials said Wednesday.
  

"The two sides are in working-level discussions on the need for such a consultation channel," a government official said, asking not to be named.
  

If established, it would provide a new mechanism for the Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department to discuss broader global economic issues, including climate change, he added.
  

The envisioned channel will likely also deal with cooperation in multilateral forums such as APEC and G-20, rather than trade affairs.
  

South Korea aims to launch the channel within this year, with President Park Geun-hye planning to visit Washington for talks with her U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, in mid-June.
  

South Korea and the U.S. have stepped up efforts to expand their alliance to handle global issues beyond regional security. (Yonhap)