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Report: US, N. Korea to hold talks this week

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Officials to discuss another summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un

SEOUL: The US and North Korea plan to hold high-level talks in Washington this week to discuss a second summit of their leaders, following a stalemate in nuclear talks, a South Korean newspaper said yesterday.

The meeting, led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, would happen tomorrow or Friday, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing an unnamed diplomatic source.

Both sides are expected to finalise the date and location of a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the North's envoy is likely to meet Mr Trump, the paper said.

There was no immediate comment from the White House.

Asked about the report, a State Department official said: "We don't have any meetings to announce."

If confirmed, this week's meeting could mean the two sides are nearing a compromise after a months-long stand-off over how to move forward in ending North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Mr Pompeo, who made several trips to Pyongyang last year, sought to meet his counterpart last November, but talks were called off at the last minute.

Contact was resumed after Mr Kim's New Year speech, in which he said he was willing to meet Mr Trump "at any time", South Korea's Ambassador to the US Cho Yoon-je told reporters last week.

Washington and Seoul have been discussing potential US measures to reciprocate North Korea's possible steps toward denuclearisation, such as dismantling the Yongbyon main nuclear complex or intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) aimed at the US, South Korean officials told Reuters.

SANCTIONS

The US is considering partially easing sanctions in exchange for the North's discarding and sending abroad its ICBMs, in addition to a freeze in its nuclear programme, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing the source.

Potential US corresponding action also includes exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean business and tour ventures and opening a liaison office as a prelude to a formal launch of diplomatic relations, Seoul officials said.

"Those ideas are being discussed as interim measures, not as an end state, in order to expedite the denuclearisation process because the North wouldn't respond to any demand for a declaration of facilities and weapons," a senior South Korean official said.

"The end goal remains unchanged, whether it be complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, or final, fully verified denuclearisation."

The official said a second summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim might happen in late February or early March, though "no one knows what Trump is thinking".

Mr Kim renewed his resolve to meet Mr Trump again during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week.

Mr Trump also said this month he had received a "great" letter from Mr Kim and would probably meet him again in the not-too-distant future.

"At the second summit, they'll probably focus on reaching a possible interim deal rather than a comprehensive road map for denuclearisation," said Dr Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute.

"Whether Pyongyang is willing to abolish ICBMs, in addition to disabling the Yongbyon complex, would be key, and if so, the North will likely demand sanctions relief in return." - REUTERS

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