Trump-Kim Summit Venue Suggests Potential for Moving Beyond Conflict, Says State Department – Reuters

By David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON – The selection of Vietnam as the venue for the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit this month underscores the potential for expanding beyond conflict and division into a collaborative partnership, officials from the U.S. State Department declared on Thursday.

During a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino confirmed that U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, is currently in Pyongyang to prepare for the summit scheduled for February 27-28. Biegun is focusing on advancing commitments made during the initial meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore last June.

Palladino emphasized the need for complete denuclearization, a transformation in U.S.-North Korea relations, and the establishment of a lasting peace framework on the Korean Peninsula. He reiterated that any sanctions relief sought by North Korea would be contingent upon their denuclearization efforts.

He remarked on U.S.-Vietnamese historical relations, stating they provide an example of the potential for peace and prosperity. "We moved past conflict and division towards the thriving partnership we enjoy today," Palladino noted.

No further details about Biegun’s discussions in Pyongyang were provided, and he declined to specify the duration of Biegun’s stay. Earlier reports indicated that he was scheduled to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Hyok Chol, on Wednesday.

According to sources cited by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, Biegun is expected to return to South Korea on Friday to discuss the results of his visit, although he may extend his stay in North Korea if additional talks are necessary.

President Trump announced the planned second meeting with Kim during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. He acknowledged that significant work remains in the pursuit of peace with North Korea but pointed to the halt in nuclear testing and the absence of missile launches over the last 15 months as indicators of progress.

Despite limited advancements from North Korea regarding its nuclear weapons program, Trump has expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming summit, emphasizing the economic advantages for North Korea should it disarm.

Biegun stated last week that his discussions in Pyongyang would aim to outline "a set of concrete deliverables" for the second summit. He conveyed Washington’s willingness to engage in various measures to enhance relations and encourage Pyongyang to relinquish its nuclear arsenal, noting that Trump is prepared to formally conclude the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

While the U.S. maintains that North Korea has yet to take significant steps toward denuclearization, Pyongyang has voiced its frustrations regarding what it perceives as insufficient reciprocation from Washington for its cessation of nuclear and missile tests and the dismantling of specific facilities.

Vietnam, a communist nation with amicable relations with both the United States and North Korea, is eager to host the second summit as a symbol of its normalization of relations with the U.S. since the Vietnam War, which concluded in 1975 and resulted in the deaths of over 58,000 Americans and an estimated three million Vietnamese.

The United States also incurred over 33,000 military fatalities during the Korean War, and estimates suggest that around one million North Koreans lost their lives, both military and civilian.

Although Trump has heralded "tremendous progress" in his dealings with North Korea, a confidential report from U.N. sanctions monitors, recently seen, raised further concerns about North Korea’s intentions. The report indicated that the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs remain intact, and North Korea is taking steps to ensure that these capabilities would not be vulnerable to any military strikes.

Palladino refrained from commenting when asked about this report.