The US-South Korea summit could be a turning point for denuclearization negotiations.

The leaders of North and South Korea, along with their wives, atop Mount Paektu. Photo: Getty

On September 25th, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York, President Moon is expected to brief his counterpart, President Trump, on the details of the recent inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not be attending this session.

The South Korean president said he would also discuss with his U.S. counterpart the possibility of formally declaring an end to the 1950-1953 Korean War, something Pyongyang has always sought in exchange for denuclearization.

For a long time, Washington has maintained that it would only declare an end to the Korean War after Pyongyang abandoned its nuclear weapons arsenal.

However, Moon has something that could convince Trump: a message from Kim Jong-un, which was not disclosed during the inter-Korean summit.

Through the South Korean president, Kim Jong-un may have outlined a full list of additional denuclearization measures he is willing to take if the U.S. takes commensurate action. Among the measures mentioned is the permanent destruction of North Korea's nuclear facility at Yongbyon.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies commented, "President Trump may find the North Korean leader's message appealing and encourage a declaration to end the war. This could significantly alter the trajectory of US-North Korea denuclearization negotiations."

Professor Yang predicts that North Korea may allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enter the country and monitor its nuclear facilities.

Meanwhile, Professor Kim Hyun-wook of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy believes there is a 50% probability that President Trump will proceed with declaring an end to the war.

Professor Kim pointed out that the US has intensified nuclear sanctions against North Korea even after the country closed its main Punggye-ri nuclear test site last May.

"The key factor that convinced President Trump was Kim Jong-un's permission for international inspectors to monitor the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear facility."

Analysts believe that President Trump may demand that North Korea begin denuclearization measures before the US midterm elections (November 6) in order to win over voters.