Delay in N. Korea-U.S. high level talks may push back other key events

2018-11-27 3

There had been speculations... that high-level talks between North Korea and the U.S. could take place as early as this week.
But with no word yet on any fixed date,... the meeting could be delayed into December... which could also affect the timeline of other key events on the Korean Peninsula.
Our Park Hee-jun has more.
The high-level talks between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart Kim Yong-chol... to discuss details of the next Kim-Trump summit and the North's denuclearization,... may have to take place next month.

The originally planned November 8th meeting was delayed right after the U.S. midterm elections.
There had been rumors that Washington was looking to arrange the meeting in New York early this week.
But it looks like it will be delayed again,... over the North's failure to respond.

The U.S. has been trying to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table,... by supporting a joint study of the inter-Korean railway project, and by granting the necessary sanctions waivers.
It also recently announced... that its annual South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise... will be scaled down next year.

But Pyeongyang is believed to be dodging the talks,... to avoid demands that it provide an inventory of its nuclear assets.... and shut down its key nuclear facilities,... until sanctions are lifted.

The continued setbacks are expected to cause a delay in the second Kim-Trump summit slated for early next year.
It could also hinder progress in other areas... such as talks to declare a formal end to the Korean War and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's proposed visit to Seoul.
The Seoul government had been hoping to achieve both of these goals within the year.
South Korea's presidential office said on Monday, that it needs to determine whether Kim's visit would be more appropriate... before or after the second North Korea-U.S. summit.
That's a step back from its previous remarks... that it was moving ahead with the preparations... assuming that Kim will visit Seoul by the end of the year.

The impasse between Pyeongyang and Washington could be broken, depending on the discussions among the heads of regional powers during the upcoming G20 summit.
There are also hopes that, if President Moon Jae-in sits down with President Trump,... he could secure breakthrough in the nuclear negotiations.

Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.