When will Kim Jong-un visit Seoul? If he knows, he’s not telling
- Speculation is growing over a potential trip by the North Korean leader after officials from both sides met on Friday
- But a visit would prove controversial on both sides of the peninsula
Lee Eugene, a deputy Unification Ministry spokeswoman, refused to provide confirmation on whether the visit was on the meeting’s agenda when she was asked during a routine press briefing.
But speculation continues to grow over the possibility, with a diplomatic source telling Bloomberg that South Korean police had reviewed security for Kim’s visit.
The possibility of Chairman Kim Jong-un visiting within the year remains open
Moon reignited interest in the topic when he told reporters last week “the possibility of Chairman Kim Jong-un visiting within the year remains open”.
This came after Moon and US President Donald Trump held a summit on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Argentina, where Trump reportedly delivered warm words about Kim to the South Korean premier.
“President Trump and I shared the view that Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul would play a very positive role in North Korea-US denuclearisation talks,” Moon told reporters aboard the Air Force One flight from Argentina.
The media flurry soon began and the dates that have been bandied about are December 18 to 20, with the rationale being that Kim would remain in Pyongyang for the memorial service for his father, former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who died on December 17, 2011.
