특사단, 김정은 만나 친서 전달... 만찬 후 귀국길 오를 예정
Once again our starting point is President Moon Jae-in's special envoys trip to Pyongyang.
It's been more than 12 hours since they left for North Korea.
We connect to our Cheong Wa Dae correspondent Hwang Hojun for the latest.
Hojun, so we hear that the envoys met with the North Korean leader?
That's right, Daniel.
Their encounter was confirmed when the Blue House press corps received a text message from Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom less than two hours ago, in which he said South Korea's special delegation did, in fact, meet with Kim Jong-un to deliver President Moon Jae-in's personal letter,... and that they exchanged opinions.
The Blue House also confirmed that the special envoys will leave Pyongyang after they attend a dinner; but it's still unclear who the host is.
As you noted, Daniel, the statement came many hours after the delegation headed by Chung Eui-yong, President Moon's top security adviser, arrived in Pyongyang.
It was expected to be just a day trip, but there's a chance they won't get back to Seoul until after midnight, considering that they're staying for dinner and that the Blue House confirmed that the latest statement from the spokesperson would be the last one for today.
In case you're wondering why there haven't been many updates today, it's because the envoys have been communicating with the top office by fax.
So, given the circumstances, there have only been two official updates from the Presidential Office throughout the day.
What we know so far, though, is that the South Korean delegation first met with North Korean officials at the twin-towered Koryo Hotel in downtown Pyongyang.
The officials include Ri Son-kwon, North Korea's head of the Committee for Peaceful Reunification and Kim Yong-chol, who heads North Korea's department in charge of inter-Korean ties and who also serves as Pyongyang's point man in deliberations with South Korea and the U.S.
After holding a twenty-minute-long conversation with them, they were then asked to move to (quote) "an undisclosed venue" for the start of official talks,.... which we assume is where the envoys met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The delegation is made up of the same five officials who visited North Korea around half a year ago.
They've been credited for playing a key role in bringing all the different sides back to the table.... after months of tensions.
Their mission this time includes hashing out details of the inter-Korean summit slated to take place this month.
It was only two weeks ago that President Trump canceled his Secretary of State's planned visit to North Korea,... citing lack of progress on denuclearization.
It won't be until tomorrow that we will know for sure about the exact details including the specific date and agenda for the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang this month.
Back to you, Daniel.
