Seoul [South Korea]: The US envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, met with South Korea’s National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong at the Cheong Wa Dae on Monday regarding the upcoming second US-North Korea summit.
“South Korea and the US have been working well together, and we have high expectations for the meeting between Pyongyang and Washington,” an official from the Cheong Wa Dae, or the Blue House, told Yonhap News Agency.
The meeting at the Presidential house comes ahead of Tuesday’s talks between Biegun and his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok-chol at Panmunjom. The representatives are slated to discuss details regarding the upcoming second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which will be held at the end of the month at a location in Asia that is yet to be announced.
Speculations are rife that the location for the second summit may be Vietnam, however, an official confirmation is awaited.
The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting also includes a discussion on the denuclearisation steps that will be undertaken by North Korea and the corresponding measures by the United States.
Biegun had reached Seoul on Sunday following which he met with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon.
The first summit between the USA and North Korea was held for the first time at Singapore’s Sentosa island in June last year. Both Trump and Kim had agreed on a spectrum of things, the most prominent being the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
However, the USA and North Korea reached an impasse regarding sanctions relief for Pyongyang soon after the first summit, leading to extremely slow progress on the denuclearisation front.
North Korea has sought relief in sanctions in light of the steps that have been taken by the country towards denuclearisation. The United States has repeatedly put forth that there would be no sanctions relief until complete denuclearisation is achieved by North Korea, leading to the stalemate.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]