Washington's nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun to be in Seoul on June 24: Source
Arirang News
2019-06-14
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비건, 24일 訪韓… 트럼프 오기 전 北 접촉 가능성
Washington's nuclear envoy will travel to Seoul near the end of this month.
Stephen Biegun's visit could bring fresh momentum to the stalled nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S.
Lee Ji-won explains further.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun is to arrive in Seoul on the 24th of June,... days ahead of President Donald Trump's arrival in South Korea.
A foreign affairs source confirmed the news on Friday,... without giving much detail on Biegun's visit.
Seoul's foreign affairs ministry says that nothing has been confirmed, but that close communication with the U.S. on related matters is always being made.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul also said that it has nothing to confirm.
Now, Biegun's arrival would come just before President Trump is expected to have his summit with President Moon Jae-in, possibly on the 29th.
And if Biegun does not attend the G20 summit in Japan on 28th and 29th, that could mean that he will be staying in Seoul through the whole week.
This 6 day stay is an extraordinarily long one, since he usually visits for just 3 or 4 days.
And this is prompting speculation that Biegun could try to contact the North Koreans at the border village of Panmunjeom during his stay.
Despite the long standstill between Pyeongyang and Washington since the Hanoi summit, Trump's recent announcement that he received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has renewed hopes that denuclearization talks will move forward soon.
Meanwhile, Washington has beefed up its team of officials for East Asian affairs.
The Senate confirmed on Thursday, former Air Force General David Stilwell's appointment as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, a role which had remained empty for more than two years despite major challenges in the region.
It's been nearly eight months since President Trump nominated the former fighter pilot.
The new top diplomat for East Asia is known for his familiarity with the region,... through his degrees related to South Korea and China, and the ability to speak Korean, Chinese and some Japanese.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
Washington's nuclear envoy will travel to Seoul near the end of this month.
Stephen Biegun's visit could bring fresh momentum to the stalled nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S.
Lee Ji-won explains further.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun is to arrive in Seoul on the 24th of June,... days ahead of President Donald Trump's arrival in South Korea.
A foreign affairs source confirmed the news on Friday,... without giving much detail on Biegun's visit.
Seoul's foreign affairs ministry says that nothing has been confirmed, but that close communication with the U.S. on related matters is always being made.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul also said that it has nothing to confirm.
Now, Biegun's arrival would come just before President Trump is expected to have his summit with President Moon Jae-in, possibly on the 29th.
And if Biegun does not attend the G20 summit in Japan on 28th and 29th, that could mean that he will be staying in Seoul through the whole week.
This 6 day stay is an extraordinarily long one, since he usually visits for just 3 or 4 days.
And this is prompting speculation that Biegun could try to contact the North Koreans at the border village of Panmunjeom during his stay.
Despite the long standstill between Pyeongyang and Washington since the Hanoi summit, Trump's recent announcement that he received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has renewed hopes that denuclearization talks will move forward soon.
Meanwhile, Washington has beefed up its team of officials for East Asian affairs.
The Senate confirmed on Thursday, former Air Force General David Stilwell's appointment as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, a role which had remained empty for more than two years despite major challenges in the region.
It's been nearly eight months since President Trump nominated the former fighter pilot.
The new top diplomat for East Asia is known for his familiarity with the region,... through his degrees related to South Korea and China, and the ability to speak Korean, Chinese and some Japanese.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
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