Trump floats inter-Korean border as possible venue for Kim meeting

Washington : US President Donald Trump on Monday floated the inter-Korean border as a possible venue for his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

“Numerous countries are being considered for the MEETING, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the Border of North & South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country?” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Just asking!”

The Peace House was the location of South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s meeting with Kim last Friday. The Freedom House is a nearby building that serves as a liaison office between the Koreas.

Both houses are on the southern side of the border in the truce village of Panmunjom. Trump is expected to meet Kim within weeks. Last week, the US leader said the location had been narrowed to two prospective sites, Yonhap news agency reported.

Among the possible venues cited in the media were Switzerland, Singapore, Mongolia, Sweden and the US territory of Guam.

South Korea was dismissed as a venue because of apparent concerns it could highlight Seoul’s role in enabling the historic meeting and take the spotlight away from Trump.

The Trump administration said its goal in the upcoming negotiations was “the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea”.

Moon and Kim agreed in their summit to commit to a complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and work towards a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.

Many expect the Trump-Kim meeting to focus on the details of how denuclearisation will be achieved, and what concessions Pyongyang will seek in return.

Published on April 30, 2018 at 21:08 IST

IANS