South Korean Foreign Minister: The likelihood of a meeting between Trump and Kim on the sidelines of the APEC summit is very low
South Korean Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, described the possibility of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, scheduled to be held in South Korea in late October, as "very low at the moment".
This came during Minister Cho's remarks on a news program on KBS today, Sunday, where he commented on media speculation about the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders during the summit in Gyeongju, located 330 kilometers southeast of the capital Seoul.
The minister added, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, "I can only say that the probability is very low at the moment," noting that "no invitation has yet been sent from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to the North Korean leader".
While indicating the low likelihood of the meeting taking place, the South Korean minister did not rule out the positive impact of such a meeting if it were to occur, stating that it "could create an opportunity to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and ultimately achieve the denuclearization of North Korea".
Additionally, Minister Cho addressed the planned visit of leader Kim Jong Un to China this week, considering that Kim "is likely seeking opportunities to mend strained relations with Beijing". Kim is scheduled to visit the Chinese capital to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II next Wednesday.
