With about a month ahead of Washington-Pyongyang talks, key regional players are rushing to have an input before the historic even unfolds.
Foreign ministers of Japan and China are meeting with their counterparts from both sides.
Oh Jung-hee outlines what could be the key topics during those sit-downs.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono hurriedly met with his new U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Monday local time.
This... to reaffirm maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve complete denuclearization... as well as to ensure joint efforts to bring back Japanese citizens abducted by the regime.
The meeting was the first between the two top diplomats -- coming only four days after Pompeo assumed the post of U.S. Secretary of State last Thursday.
Diplomatic sources say... the meeting was highly desired by the Japanese side... and was confirmed only after Kono arrived in Amman.
Pompeo was on a four-nation tour through the Middle East.

"In Washington's negotiations with Pyongyang, Tokyo doesn't want short-range missiles to be excluded from the ban on intercontinental ballistic missiles. Tokyo also wants to see Pyongyang's real intentions."

Meanwhile, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is also to head over to North Korea on Wednesday... at the invitation from his North Korean counterpart.
This... amid concerns that Beijing could feel left out from formally ending the Korean War and drafting a peace treaty.
Last Friday's summit agreement, dubbed the 'Panmunjom Declaration,' stipulates... the two Koreas will actively push forwards trilateral meetings with the U.S. or quadrilateral meetings with both the U.S. and China... to set a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
And that leaves open the possibility of excluding China from the talks.

"The two Koreas and the United States have already formed a trilateral structure and are closely coordinating. So there's no need to bring in China to form a rivalry structure that puts Seoul and Washington at one side and Pyongyang and Beijing at the other."

The expert added... China will be most curious about how North Korea could be guaranteed of its sovereign security... as it directly coincides with Beijing's own interest.
With the situation taking not steps but leaps in terms of denuclearization talks between the two Koreas as well as between Pyongyang and Washington,... China and Japan are in apparent moves to secure their own interests and maintain their influence in the region.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.