US-North Korean officials meet today to prepare for summit in Singapore
(Baonghean.vn) - Officials from the United States and North Korea are expected to meet in Singapore today (May 29) to discuss security and protocol issues related to a possible summit between their leaders, a diplomatic source here said.
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| US President Donald Trump (right) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: Yonhap |
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Joe Hagin led the US delegation, while Kim Chang-son, a senior official at the State Affairs Commission, represented the North Korean side. They arrived in the island nation on May 28.
A crucial summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Pyongyang's denuclearization is scheduled to take place in Singapore on June 12.
However, Trump canceled the meeting on May 24, citing “open hostility” from North Korea. But after Pyongyang’s conciliatory gesture and Seoul’s mediation, Trump said the summit could go ahead as planned.
“I understand that the two sides will meet in Singapore on May 29 and hold consultations on practical issues such as the specific date of the summit, venue, protocol and security,” the unnamed source said.
The planned talks in Singapore are taking place in parallel with separate consultations at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom.
At Panmunjom, the two sides are said to have discussed methods and schedules for denuclearization, as well as ways to ensure North Korea's security. The negotiating teams were led by Ambassador Sung Kim, a former US special nuclear envoy, and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.
Mr. Kim, accompanied by his subordinates, left his hotel in Seoul in a diplomatic sedan on the morning of May 29, prompting speculation that he might continue talks with North Korea after the first round on May 27.
Observers say that after the working-level talks, Kim Yong-chol - Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may meet for final consultations, most likely in Washington.
It remains unclear how much progress the two sides have made in efforts to narrow the gap on denuclearization approaches.
Washington has called for a fast, rigorous approach to denuclearization to prevent North Korea from dragging out negotiations and demanding inappropriate benefits. Pyongyang has favored gradually rolling back its nuclear program in exchange for benefits along the way.
In a phone call on May 28, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe affirmed “the shared importance of achieving the complete and permanent dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile programs,” another signal of Washington’s tough stance on the denuclearization front.
However, Trump has repeatedly held out the prospect of economic incentives to nudge a hesitant Pyongyang into denuclearization.
“I truly believe North Korea has great potential and will be a great financial and economic powerhouse one day. Kim Jong-un agrees with me on this. It will happen!” Trump tweeted on May 27.
Washington has also sought to reassure Pyongyang that its security will remain intact even after disarmament. Pyongyang is clearly wary that any agreement could be reversed following a change in US administration, as seen by Trump’s moves to roll back the multilateral nuclear deal with Iran reached under his predecessor Barack Obama.
