North and South Korea say their respective leaders will meet in North’s capital of Pyongyang sometime next month.
The announcement was made Monday after the two sides held high-level talks in Panmunjom, the truce village in the border zone that separates the autocratic North from the democratic South.
The statement did not give a firm date on when the meeting between North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will take place.
Kim and Moon held a historic first summit in April in Panmunjom, followed by a second meeting in May, also in the truce village. If plans for the September summit go forward, Moon would be the first South Korean leader to visit Pyongyang.
Next month’s planned meeting between the leaders of the rival Koreas continues a flurry of diplomatic overtures since Moon accepted Kim’s offer for North Korean athletes to participate in February’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
The overture culminated in a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in June, where they signed a vague agreement for the North to rid itself of its nuclear arsenal.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the United States is in close contact with South Korea about “our unified response to North Korea.” The official said the United States remains “confident” that Kim will fulfill his promise to denuclearize his country.
“The United States and its allies are committed to the same goal — the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea,” said the official, adding that “sanctions will remain in full effect should North Korea fail to denuclearize.” Voice of America
