Talks on 2nd Trump-Kim summit are ongoing

Washington and Pyongyang are reportedly communing with each other on a "big deal" agreement, which incorporates the completion of denuclearization and the United States’ corresponding measures until 2020, when President Donald Trump’s term expires, during the second summit at the end of next month. In other words, negotiations on denuclearization that is underway goes beyond previous expectations that they will end as a mere "small deal" where the U.S. alleviates part of its sanctions in return for the North’s abolishment of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

“North Korean leader Kim Jong Un revealed his intention to push forward groundbreaking denuclearization measures to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and this was delivered to U.S. President Trump when top North Korean diplomat Kim Yong Chol met visited Washington,” said a diplomatic source on Wednesday. “There is higher possibility that measures between the U.S. and North Korea, not least the due date for denuclearization, will be included in the agreement at a second U.S.-North Korea summit.”

North Korea is said to have revealed the possibility of accepting prior verification before withdrawing the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, which has been requested by Washington in relation to denuclearization measures. As such, the United States has reportedly mentioned measures to alleviate sanctions against the import of petroleum including a Pyongyang liaison office.

The United Nations has reduced the amount of refined oil import including gasoline to 500,000 barrels per year since 2017, when North Korea launched its ICBM Hwasong-15.

Diplomatic sources in Seoul and Washington, however, have assessed that the range and speed of alleviating sanctions until the second U.S.-North Korea summit is not clear yet as opinions differ between the two nations.


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