Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior official is traveling to the US. The purpose of the trip is to engage in talks with US officials, that will hopefully further strengthen the chances that the meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un will take place. The historic meeting was set to take place in Singapore on 12 June, but due to some tension between the two leaders, President Trump cancelled the meeting on 24 May. Trump's decision caused both confusion and deep concern among leaders worldwide, who had hoped to see this as the first step in bringing peace to the Korean peninsula.
South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, called an emergency meeting with his security advisers shortly after Trump had made the public announcement, and told reporters he was "very perplexed," about the whole thing. South Korea has been acting as intermediary between the two countries. The leaders of both North- and South Korea met at the borders on 27 April to discuss further collaboration, something that was seen as being a historic move on both parts.
Both leaders are still open to discussions.
According to Aljazeera, Kim Yong Chol is a former North Korean spy chief. He is also one of the most influential people in North Korea and has been involved in several talks with South Korean officials over the last few weeks.
In his formal newsletter, President Trump stated that due to North Korea's hostility he felt it was inappropriate to have the meeting at all. He did, however, seem to leave the door open for Kim Jong-un, should he change his mind, stating that although he didn't feel as if the meeting should take place, Mr. Jong-un was more than welcome to call or write, if he still wanted to talk.
Last Friday, officials in Pyongyang responded by having a meeting with the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, on Saturday. Kim Jong-un, is said to have declared his commitment and willingness to continue with any negotiations. President Trump expressed his delight in a tweet, saying, "We have put together a great team for our talks with North Korea.
Solid response to my letter, thank you!" Should the meeting take place, it would be historic. It would be the first time in history that a sitting US president and a North Korean leader would sit down and have a discussion. According to CNN, it would be a diplomatic triumph since the two countries are technically still at war.
Both countries want to work things out
Kim Yong Chol's visit confirms that both Washington and Pyongyang have a direct line of communication and are keeping the option for a meeting open. Although several North Korean officials have travelled to New York already, Kim Young Chol's visit is regarded as significant as he is considered to be highly important in North Korea.
According to John Deluray, a university professor at international relations, the visit is an incredible act, as it shows willingness to work together on fundamentally change the relationship between North Korea and the US.
