ROK to seek talks with DPRK in preparation for summit

World
Europe

The Republic of Korea (ROK) will seek to hold high-level talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) later this month to prepare for the agreed inter-Korean summit, the Blue House said Friday.

Im Jong-seok, chief of staff for ROK President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that the Moon government will push for a senior-level dialogue with the DPRK in late March for the inter-Korean summit agreed to be held in late April.

The ROK plans to officially propose that the DPRK hold the high-level talks, Im said, after convening the first meeting of the presidential committee to prepare for the summit between President Moon and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the DPRK.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Chung Eui-yong who led a special ROK delegation to Pyongyang, DPRK, March 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

The first meeting, Im said, would confirm that the upcoming inter-Korean summit should be a turning point for resolving the Korean Peninsula issues.

For the fundamental resolution, he said the committee will make preparations for the summit, focusing on issues such as denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, dramatically defusing military tensions, and advancing new inter-Korean relations.

Aside from the preparation committee of the Blue House, a separate advisory group composed of 30 to 40 members, will be formed to collect a wide range of public opinion and share the experiences of former government officials who had prepared for the past inter-Korean summits in 2000 and 2007, Im said.

CGTN Picture

Moon and Kim have agreed to hold their first meeting in late April at the Peace House, the joint security area in Panmunjeom that straddles the ROK and the DPRK.

Meanwhile, ROK will seek to send its art troupe and a Takewondo demonstration team to Pyongyang in early April as agreed upon.

The ROK delegation of artists and Taekwondo demonstrators will be headed by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan.

The two countries will hold working-level talks in Panmunjom next week to discuss ROK's dispatch of its artists and demonstrators to Pyongyang next month, Im added.

953km

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency