On Friday, North Korea agreed to hold official talks with South Korea. The meeting is scheduled for the 9th of January 2018. This is the first formal diplomatic meet in more than two years. The talks to be held next week is likely to pave a path for North Korea’s participation in the Winter Olympics.
The U.S. President Donald Trump is set to talk to North Korea’s Leader Kim Jong Un over the phone. When asked whether he is willing to engage in phone talks with Kim, Trump said, “Absolutely I would do that. No problem with that at all.”
Trump said the diplomatic talks to be held next week has the chance of easing tension. Trump said, “Look, right now they’re talking Olympics. It’s a start, it’s big start. If I weren’t involved they wouldn’t be talking at all right now.” Trump further added, “Kim knows I‘m not messing around. I‘m not messing around. Not even a little bit, not even one percent. He understands that. If something can come out of those talks, that would be a great thing for all of humanity, that would be a great thing for the world.” Trump further took the credit and said, “Without my rhetoric and tough stance they wouldn’t be talking.”
Earlier this week, Trump and Kim waged a war of words with Kim’s taunt of a nuclear button on his desk and Trump saying his button is much more bigger and powerful. Trump and Kim Jong Un have traded abuses in the past with Trump calling Kim a little rocket man and Kim describing Trump as a dotard.
On Sunday, Kim Jong Un announced a list of five officials representing North Korea at the meet with South Korea. North Korea’s list came a day after South Korea’s Unification Ministry confirmed the list of representatives. Ri Son Gwon, the Head of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (PRF) will be leading North Korea’s delegation. The PRF usually deals with the South Korean affairs. The Unification Ministry’s Head Cho Myoung Gyon will be heading South Korea’s delegation.
