Trump, Moon discuss Korean issues at G20 summit

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday has met his Republic of Korea (ROK) counterpart Moon Jae-in to discuss recent developments regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

According to a statement issued by White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders, Trump and Moon, who met on the margins of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires on Friday, conferred on Trump's plans to hold a second summit with the DPRK's top leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trump and Moon reiterated their commitment to closely coordinate on the next steps, the statement said.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, and agreed on the importance of "maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure the DPRK understands that denuclearization is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Trump also met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, when they also reviewed the recent developments in the DPRK and discussed how best to work with the international community, including the ROK, to maintain pressure until the DPRK implements its commitment to denuclearize.

After Trump and Kim met in June in Singapore, negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stuck due to bilateral differences on key problems over the scale of denuclearization, U.S. sanctions, and whether to issue a war-ending declaration, among others.

On Nov. 7, the State Department announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's meeting with Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, which had been scheduled for Nov. 8 in New York, would "take place at a later date."

Trump said earlier in October that his meeting with Kim would be held after the midterm Congressional elections, and the venue had been narrowed down to "three or four" locations.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency