S. Korea's Blue House welcomes N. Korea, U.S. Singapore Summit; N. Korea, U.S., S. Korea Summit not ruled out

  • 6 years ago
The nation's top office welcomed the decision to hold the U.S.-North Korea summit on June 12th in Singapore.
While wishing for the event's success. Seoul did not rule out the possibility of a three-way summit following the success of that historic meeting.
Our chief Blue House correspondent Moon Connyoung starts us off. South Korea's presidential Blue House immediately welcomed the announcement of historic first-ever summit between a sitting U.S. president and a leader of North Korea... on June 12th in Singapore.

"We hope the meeting between the two leaders will lead to the dismantlement of the last remnant of the cold war... the division structure. We anticipate the gate to peace and prosperity to open widely on the Korean Peninsula. Be sure to make it a success."

But the South Korean president had already been given heads up on the summit location and a rough date at least a week in advance.
A Blue House official involved in the process told Arirang TV that it was President Moon's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong who first learned of the information on the North Korea, U.S. summit when he visited Washington to meet his counterpart John Bolton last week.

As for the hotly debated location of the landmark summit, the official did acknowledge that Seoul had suggested the border truce village of Panmunjom as a possible venue... and up until U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang earlier this week, both Koreas had been pressing for talks at the DMZ and were encouraged by Trump's public endorsement of holding them there.

Now, when asked by reporters whether President Moon had stressed the importance of a three-way summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, U.S. President Donald Trump, and himself during his phone conversation with Mr. Trump last week... the Blue House official gave an answer in the
affirmative but said it was inappropriate for him to share Mr. Trump's response... only saying the U.S. leader did show interest in the trilateral summit... but that the focus now should be on the North Korea, U.S. summit and all else will depend on the outcome of that summit.

"Basically, no option has been ruled out just yet. As clearly evidenced by the latest of series of diplomatic events involving the Korean Peninsula, things that have never been even imaginable are developing before our eyes. Which is why... many here at South Korea's top office say all the more rides on the South Korea, U.S. summit slated for the 22nd of this month... as various ideas can and will be discussed including the possibility of a four-party declaration of formally ending the Korean War... that is the two Koreas, the U.S. and China.
Moon Connyoung, Arirang News, the Blue House."

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