US President Donald Trump on Friday agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “by May,” as Seoul scrambles to make preparations for the inter-Korean summit slated for the end of April.

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in plans to meet Kim on the South’s side of the Panmunjeom truce village as part of the recently reached inter-Korean agreement.

The announcement regarding Trump’s decision was made by Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong at the White House following his meeting with Trump and his top aides. 

“President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization,” Chung said.

 

Chung had met with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, to explain the results of his meeting with Kim on Monday.

Chung said that he briefed Trump on Kim’s promises, including that he is “committed to denuclearization.” Chung also said that the North Korean leader “expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible.”

Moon welcomed the developments. 

“(The process of achieving) A complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be on track if a meeting between the two leaders (Kim and Trump) follows the inter-Korean summit,” Moon said.

“The May meeting will be recorded as a historic milestone in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Moon also thanked Kim and Trump for their decision, going on to praise the US leader saying that his “leadership will be praised by South and North Koreans, and people of the world who wish for peace.” 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the developments, but advised caution and said that pressure will remain until visible steps towards denuclearization are made.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Abe said that he “appreciates this change,“ referring to the North’s apparently willingness to discuss denuclearization with the US.

He added that the development is the result of the international community‘s continuation of high-level pressure.”

According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Chung’s meeting with Trump was initially planned for Saturday, Korea time, but was brought forward at the US leader’s request.

At the meeting Chung quoted Kim Jong-un as saying “significant results could be achieved if (I) speak to President Trump in person,” the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said. According to Kim Eui-kyeom, Trump immediately accepted the invitation to meet, and stressed that he has always emphasized the need for dialogue.

The spokesman also revealed that Chung did not deliver a letter from the North Korean leader, and that there has been no talk of special envoys between Pyongyang and Washington.

Moon, meanwhile, appointed Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok as the head of the inter-Korean summit preparation committee.

“The main task of the preparation committee is to draw up an agreement for the April summit meeting,” Kim Eui-kyeom said. He added that the committee will also take part in high-level talks that will be held in the run up to the summit meeting.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)