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South Korea's top nuclear envoy plans to visit the United States this week to talk about inter-Korean summit agreements and other related issues, a source here said Monday.
According to the source, Lee Do-hoon, representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, is planning to meet with Susan Thornton, acting US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in Washington and is currently arranging details of his visit.
Lee's visit comes ahead of the South Korea-US summit slated for May 22 in Washington and the North Korea-US summit that is expected to take place in June. South Korea's top nuclear negotiator is expected to explain the agreements made at the inter-Korean summit on April 27, known as the Panmunjom Declaration, and to hear from US officials about their preparations for the summit with North Korea.
Lee is also expected to touch on the issue on North Korea's denuclearization.
Key US officials have mentioned "permanent, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" of North Korea's weapons, which some point out appears to be a stricter concept than "complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement." Lee is expected to discuss with US officials about their demands to North Korea regarding denuclearization.
Lee is also expected to exchange ideas about North Korea demanding the security of its regime and speculation that the US may pull its troops from South Korea.
Lee already talked with Thornton in Seoul last month about North Korean issues.
Diplomatic sources added that South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is also planning to visit the US this month to talk with new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Yonhap)
