U.S. Envoy to Hold Talks in North Korea on Wednesday, Reports Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. special envoy for North Korea is scheduled to meet with his North Korean counterpart in Pyongyang on Wednesday to prepare for an upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this month, according to the U.S. State Department.

U.S. envoy Stephen Biegun expressed last week his intention to engage in working-level negotiations with his new North Korean counterpart, Kim Hyok Chol, to establish a "set of concrete deliverables" for the second summit between Trump and Kim.

Biegun aims to develop "a roadmap of negotiations and declarations moving forward, alongside a shared understanding of the desired outcomes of our joint efforts."

The first summit between Trump and Kim last June in Singapore resulted in a vague agreement from Kim to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, where U.S. troops have been present since the Korean War in 1950-53.

From the U.S. perspective, North Korea has yet to undertake significant actions to abandon its nuclear weapons program, which poses a threat to the United States. In contrast, North Korea has argued that Washington has not adequately reciprocated its pauses on nuclear and missile testing or the dismantling of some nuclear facilities.

North Korea has consistently called for the lifting of stringent U.S.-led sanctions, a formal end to the war, and security guarantees.

On Thursday, Biegun noted that Kim Jong Un had committed during an October visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to dismantle and destroy his country’s plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities, contingent upon receiving "corresponding measures" from the United States.

Biegun explained that these corresponding steps would be the focus of the upcoming talks, and Washington is prepared to consider "many actions" to improve relations and encourage Pyongyang to relinquish its nuclear weapons. However, he also presented a comprehensive list of demands, including a complete disclosure of North Korea’s arms program.

Biegun held discussions with South Korean officials in Seoul over the weekend.

Trump remarked on Thursday that there has been "tremendous progress" in U.S.-North Korea relations, stating that the date and location of the second summit would be revealed "early next week," likely during his State of the Union address.

The central resort town of Danang in Vietnam has been identified as a probable location for the summit.

Dan Coats, the director of U.S. national intelligence, informed Congress on Tuesday that North Korea is unlikely to fully surrender its nuclear arsenal and has continued activities that conflict with its promises to denuclearize.