Police officers stand guard in front of the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Yun)

The US special envoy for North Korea will arrive in South Korea on Sunday ahead of a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang for Washington to soften its approach to stalled denuclearization talks, Seoul said on Friday.

Stephen Biegun will be in Seoul for a three-day stay and hold consultations with his counterpart Lee Do-hoon and other officials, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Friday.