FROM NOKO TO . . . SOHO?
NYC eyed for Kim-Trump Summit 2
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who rarely leaves his Hermit Kingdom, might be coming to New York City this fall.
In an effort to speed up the pace of denuclearization by the regime, White House aides are exploring the possibility of a second summit between Trump and Kim, in the Big Apple, Axios reported Monday.
The meeting, which would be timed to coincide with the UN General Assembly meeting in September, would take place only if Pyongyang shows progress in getting rid of its nuclear and ballistic weapons.
Administration officials say the sitdown would work as a carrot to lead Kim’s government to crank up the process of disarming over the summer.
Round 2 would come just three months after the two leaders met in Singapore June 12, and as news reports this week said Kim’s regime has continued to work on its nuclear stockpile and is trying to hide its missiles.
The US Defense Intelligence Agency said Kim has no intention of getting rid of all of his weapons for now, CNN reported on Monday.
Satellite imagery, electronic intercepts and data from human sources on the ground are being circulated among other US intelligence agencies to see if they agree with the assessment.
One official told the news network that Kim might publicly agree to US demands but keep weapons and launching systems under wraps.
The State Department disclosed Monday that the US ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, led a delegation to meet with North Korean officials this past weekend to take the next steps in carrying out the declaration signed by Trump and Kim during their Singapore summit.
Sung Kim, who has played a critical role in the negotiations with Pyongyang, and his team met with their counterparts in Panmunjom, the village in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.
“Our goal remains the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, as agreed to by Chairman Kim in Singapore,” the State Department said in a statement, using the initials of the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The meeting marks the first face-to-face talks between representatives of the two countries since Trump and Kim’s meeting.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to continue negotiations with Kim and offi- cials in North Korea on July 5. It would be his third visit to the reclusive country.
National Security Adviser John Bolton wouldn’t address the recent intelligence reports on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, but said the US has a plan to dismantle North Korea’s stockpile “in a year” if Kim cooperates.