South Korea’s Unification Minister raised new hopes of peace on the Korean peninsula this week; confirming that negotiators are optimistic a treaty could be signed between the two countries before the end of 2018.
“I think it is possible,” said Minister Cho Myoung-gyon when asked whether North and South Korea would sign an official end of the Korean War before 2019. “Consultations among South, North Korea and the U.S. are underway.”
The Minister was cautious in discussing an end of the nearly 70-year long conflict, saying it would take time for Washington and Pyongyang to ease tensions and sign-off on the peace treaty.
“Considering the gravity of the nuclear problem, I think they might need some time for generating the [right] mood,” he said.
Cho’s comments come just hours after new satellite images showed Kim Jong Un’s regime has begun the process of “dismantling” a key nuclear launch facility; a signal he may be more willing to comply with the Trump administration’s demands than previously thought.
BACK IN BEIJING: Kim Jong Un in CHINA to Brief Officials on Singapore Summit
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was back in Beijing this week, speaking with Chinese officials over his historic summit with President Trump and the possible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Kim traveled to Beijing Tuesday to meet with President Xi Jinping in their first face-to-face meeting since the Singapore Summit; making the trip his third visit to China this year.
“Trump agreed to work with Kim toward complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, committed to provide the North with security guarantees and pledged to end ‘war games’ with South Korea, which North Korea and China have long seen as provocative,” writes the New York Post.
“We hope this visit can help to further deepen China-North Korea relations, strengthen strategic communication between both countries on important issues and promote regional peace and stability,” said a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry.
Read the full report here.
COMING TO AMERICA: Kim Jong Un Accepts Trump’s Invitation to the White House
North Korean state-run news confirmed Tuesday evening that Kim Jong Un has formally accepted President Trump’s invitation to visit Washington, DC; setting the stage for future peace talks surrounding his nuclear weapons program.
According to the Hill, the communist leader accepted Trump’s invitation to travel to the United States; another landmark summit between the two leaders still technically at war since 1953.
“The report came on the heels of the two leaders met for the first time in Singapore Tuesday for an historic summit on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Mr. Trump had said he intended to invite Mr. Kim to visit the White House,” writes the Washington Times.
#BREAKING Kim accepts Trump's invitation to visit US, says KCNA pic.twitter.com/inxPV5Kntj
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 12, 2018
President Trump told reporters last week he “absolutely” planned to invite Kim Jong Un to the United States’ capital should their high-level negotiations “go well.”
“Kim Jong-un invited Trump to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time and Trump invited Kim Jong-un to visit the US,” KCNA reported.
More information as it develops.