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North and South Korea will hold their first summit in more than a decade on April 27, according to South Korean officials, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged his commitment to denuclearisation as tensions ease between the old foes.
Key points:
- The summit will address denuclearisation and improvement of inter-Korean relations
- The summit will be held at the border truce village of Panmunjom
- The two Koreas will hold a working-level meeting on April 4 to discuss summit details
South Korean government officials announced the date of the summit after holding high-level talks with their North Korean counterparts.
The two Koreas had agreed earlier this month to hold such a summit at the border truce village of Panmunjom when South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a delegation to Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The talks were the first between the two Koreas since the delegation returned from the North.
A joint statement from the dialogue said they would hold a working-level meeting on April 4 to discuss details for the summit, such as staffing support, security and news releases.
No details on the summit agenda were released, with Unification Minister Cho Myong-gyon saying the two sides agreed more time was needed to sort out details, although they had "fully" exchanged opinions on the agenda.
Mr Cho said the agenda would largely address denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and improvement of inter-Korean relations, but declined to elaborate further.
"We still have a fair number of issues to resolve on a working-level for preparations over the next month," Ri Son Gwon, the chairman of North Korea's committee for the peaceful reunification of the country, said in closing remarks to the South Korean delegation.
"But if the two sides deeply understand the historic significance and meaning of this summit and give their all, we will be able to solve all problems swiftly and amicably," Mr Ri added.
North and South Korea have experienced a significant easing in tensions since the Winter Olympics in the South in February.
They are technically still at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended with a ceasefire, not a truce.
Mr Kim is also scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump some time in May to discuss denuclearisation, although a time and place have not been set for that summit.
Mr Kim also met Chinese President Xi Jinping in a surprise visit to Beijing this week, his first trip outside the isolated North since he came to power in 2011.
Even more surprising was Mr Kim's pledge to denuclearise the Korean summit.
That commitment was reported by Chinese state media, although North Korea's official media made no mention of it, or Mr Kim's anticipated meeting with Mr Trump.
Kim Jong-un on tour?
The North Korean leader's engagement with the international community has sparked speculation that he may try to meet other leaders.
Japan's Asahi newspaper reported that Japan had sounded out the North Korean Government about a bilateral summit.
The Japanese Government said it had been in touch with the North but declined to offer specific comment on the report.
Mr Xi Jinping promised Beijing would uphold its friendship with North Korea after his meeting with Mr Kim.
Mr Trump wrote on Twitter he had received a message from Mr Xi on Tuesday night that his meeting with Mr Kim "went very well" and that Mr Kim looked forward to meeting the US President.
Reuters
Topics: nuclear-issues, unrest-conflict-and-war, korea-democratic-peoples-republic-of, korea-republic-of, asia
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