US\, South Korean diplomats meet ahead of Trump-Kim summit

US, South Korean diplomats meet ahead of Trump-Kim summit

AP  |  Seoul 

Senior US and South Korean officials met Sunday to discuss an expected second summit between and North Korean leader

Trump said last Thursday that he'll announce this week the site and date for his meeting with Kim, expected around the end of February.

said in a statement that Biegun and his South Korean counterpart held consultations about working-level U.S.-North talks ahead of the summit.

South Korean media reported Biegun and his North Korean counterpart Chol will likely meet at the inter-Korean border village of or in the North's capital of early this week.

Little progress has been made toward ridding North of its nuclear weapons since Trump and Kim held their first summit in last June.

During that summit, Kim pledged to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, though he didn't provide a timetable or roadmap for his disarmament steps.

Last year, suspended nuclear and missile tests, dismantled its and parts of its rocket launch facility and released American detainees. The North demanded the to take corresponding measurers such as sanctions relief.

U.S. officials want to take more significant steps, saying sanctions will stay in place until denuclearizes.

taken since the June summit has indicated North Korea has been continuing to produce nuclear materials at its weapons factories.

Last Tuesday, chiefs told they believe there is little likelihood Kim will voluntarily give up his nuclear weapons or missiles capable of carrying them.

Biegun said last week that Kim committed to "the dismantlement and destruction of North Korea's plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities" during his summit with South Korean Moon Jae-in in September and at a meeting with in October.

During the second summit, some experts say North Korea will likely seek to trade the destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear complex for a U.S. promise to formally declare the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, open a liaison office in and allow the North to resume some lucrative economic projects with

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, February 03 2019. 20:40 IST