임종석 남북정상회담 준비위 단장 '필요시 정의용, 서훈 평양 방문 가능'
Only ten days left until the leaders of Seoul and Washington meet..., an event looked to as a significant step forward in improving ties... and bringing a new era of peace.
President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff and chair of the summit preparation committee updated the press on its progress so far.
Moon Connyoung starts us off with that news conference. If need be, South Korea's key security officials could visit Pyongyang for more high-level talks ahead of the 2018 inter-Korean summit now only ten days away.
That's according to South Korean President Moon Jae-in's Chief of Staff and chair of the summit preparation committee... as President Moon looks to draw reaffirmation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un his commitment to denuclearize during their historic meeting next Friday.
"The possibility of National Intelligence Service Director, Suh Hoon or Chung Eui-yong, the chief of the National Security Office visiting Pyongyang remains an option in the course of preparing for the summit."
The two officials traveled to the North Korean capital as the South Korean president's special envoys in early March where they met, for the very first time, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un... who offered to meet the South Korean leader and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss his regime's denuclearization.
The summit meeting between Moon and Kim are set for April 27th on the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom while Trump has said he will meet with Kim by early June at the latest.
"We believe the nature of the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit will be important in that it will be followed by a North Korea-U.S. summit and quite possibly lead to a three-way summit between South Korea, North Korea and the United States."
Im said Seoul and Pyongyang are currently in the course of discussing the wording of a possible joint statement to be released at the end of the summit.
He added it will likely focus on issues of denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula, and an improvement in relations not only between the two Koreas but also with other countries including the U.S.
Meanwhile, working-level officials from the two Koreas on security, protocol and media coverage meet for their second meeting on the North Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom on
Wednesday during which the two sides will discuss whether they will broadcast live the two leaders' meeting, hold a joint news conference, and whether North Korea's First Lady Ri Sol-ju will accompany her husband.
Moon Connyoung, Arirang News, the Blue House.
