Seoul says US, North Korea likely to resume nuclear negotiations soon

Nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea are likely to resume within the next few weeks, South Korean officials said in a private briefing Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS), Seoul’s spy agency, told lawmakers there is “a high possibility for working-level talks to restart within two to three weeks”, according to the AP, citing Kim Min-ki, one of the lawmakers who attended the session.

{mosads}The NIS also told legislators that another summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was possible by the end of 2020 depending on what progress the nations make in the talks, according to the AP.

Talks have largely stalled since a February meeting between Kim and Trump ended without a nuclear agreement, although the two agreed negotiations would resume during Trump’s historic June visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Since that meeting, North Korea has carried out a series of short-range weapons tests, prompting international concerns, while Trump has downplayed their seriousness and said they do not violate existing agreements. On Monday he told reporters at the United Nations that another meeting “could happen soon.”

NIS officials said it was also possible Kim could visit China, North Korea’s top provider of aid, to discuss future nuclear negotiations, according to the AP. The North Korean leader has travelled to China to consult with President Xi Jinping at least four times since Washington-Pyongyang talks began and Xi visited Pyongyang in June.