US envoy to Philippines leads team in North Korea visit

MANILA, Philippines — US Ambassador Sung Kim, a career diplomat with expertise in Korean affairs, led a team of US officials to North Korea to prepare for the meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

According to a report in The Washington Post, Kim, a former US ambassador to South Korea and former nuclear negotiator with the North, has been called in from his post as envoy to the Philippines to lead the preparations for the summit.

“Our United States team has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the summit between Kim Jong-Un and myself. I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial nation one day. Kim Jong-Un agrees with me on this. It will happen!” Trump announced in his Twitter account.

The Post added that Kim met with North Korean vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui. The two were part of the US and North Korean delegations that negotiated the 2005 denuclearization agreement through the six-party framework.

Early this month, Kim, a Korean-American, said the overall atmosphere and tone of Philippines-US relations have “improved.”

“I said this publicly whenever I meet with President Duterte. We have a terrific discussion about the full range of issues including (those) between our two countries – frank, honest, direct but always cordial and professional,” Kim said.