U.S. envoy will travel to Seoul next week to meet with his N. Korean counterpart: U.S. State Dept.
  • 5 years ago
We start with news that the U.S. envoy for North Korea will meet his North Korean counterpart early next week,... to discuss the next steps in dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program.
President Trump has also hinted that the date and venue for his second summit with Kim Jong-un will be announced in the coming days.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
With the second Kim-Trump summit a matter of weeks away,... the State Department has revealed U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun will travel to Seoul on Sunday,... for follow-up meetings with his North Korean counterpart.
While it hasn't been confirmed, his counterpart is reported to be the former North Korean ambassador to Spain, Kim Hyok-chol.
The State Department added the two sides will discuss "next steps" to advance their objective of the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea,... but did not reveal the date or location of the talks.
Biegun also plans to meet with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon during his stay in Seoul.
This comes as President Trump said on Thursday that the date and the venue for the second Pyeongyang-Washington summit will be revealed in the coming days.

"We're going to announce it pretty soon. We'll be announcing it early next week. (cut) And they very much want the meeting. And, I think they really want to do something. We'll see, but I think they really want."

While the announcement is expected next week,... President Trump hinted at where the summit will be held,... saying he doesn't think it's "any great secret.
It's widely expected to take place in Vietnam.
Ahead of the summit,... Reuters reports that Biegun is calling on North Korea to provide a comprehensive declaration of its nuclear and missile programs,... adding Washington has "contingencies" if the diplomatic process fails.
Biegun also says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un committed during an October visit to Pyeongyang by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,... to the dismantlement and destruction of North Korea's plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
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