North Korea Tensions: Seoul Sees Little Chance of US-Kim Meeting at APEC Summit

SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential office said on Thursday that there was little prospect of contact between the United States and North Korea during the upcoming APEC summit in China or of Pyongyang participating in related events.

US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in restarting talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. However, officials in both Washington and Seoul see diminishing chances of a meeting between the two leaders this year.

A senior South Korean presidential official, commenting on a recent rise in tensions along the inter-Korean border, said no additional North Korean activity had been detected in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), apart from preparations for possible loudspeaker broadcasts.

Last month, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Pyongyang was considering resuming propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers near the border, raising tensions with Seoul.

South Korea has said that North Korean mines planted during fortification work in the DMZ caused an explosion in September that seriously injured several South Korean soldiers. North Korea has denied responsibility, describing Seoul’s account as fabricated.

Seoul is also monitoring whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend next week’s APEC summit in Shenzhen, as South Korea has diplomatic issues it wishes to discuss with Moscow, the official said without providing further details.

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The official added that a possible trilateral summit involving the United States, China and Russia on the sidelines of the gathering could provide an opportunity for discussions on North Korea.