Seoul, Oct 27 (IANS) The South Korea’s unification ministry on Monday reiterated its call for U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to meet on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering, describing the event as a “good opportunity” for their talks.
As Trump departed over the weekend for an Asia trip that includes a stop in South Korea on October 29-30 for the APEC meetings, Trump called North Korea “sort of a nuclear power” and said he is “open” to meeting with Kim, fueling hopes for their first meeting in more than six years, Yonhap News Agency reported.
“This APEC event is a good opportunity for the leaders of the US and North Korea to meet,” Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the unification ministry, said at a press briefing when asked about the possibility of a Trump-Kim meeting during the APEC period.
Koo renewed the call for a Trump-Kim meeting after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young last week called on the leaders of the two countries not to miss the opportunity to meet on the occasion of the APEC event.
In what could be a potential sign of preparation for a Trump-Kim meeting, North Korea has been seen doing cleaning, pruning, weeding and taking photographs on the northern side of the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom — where Trump last met Kim in 2019 — over the past week.
North Korea was observed cleaning the area over the weekend, Koo said, adding, however, that the activity appeared to be part of routine operations.
Meanwhile, a senior South Korean presidential official said that a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is “very unlikely” to happen during this APEC gathering.
Third Deputy National Security Adviser Oh Hyun-joo made the remark amid speculation about the possible meeting as Trump is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for the gathering in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.
“There are talks the two could meet, but (I) believe that possibility is very unlikely,” Oh said during a meeting with foreign media in Seoul.
Trump earlier said he was open to meeting Kim during his upcoming visit to South Korea in a press briefing aboard Air Force One on Friday.
–IANS
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