(URGENT) N. Korea fires around dozen short-range ballistic missiles from Pyongyang: S. Korean military
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Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that direct talks between the United States and North Korea are the first crucial step toward halting Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. He made this assertion during a press conference in Seoul, in response to speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump may attempt to resume personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which had yielded three bilateral meetings during the latter's first term.
According to Chung, the meeting between the two nations is the "first gateway to stopping North Korea's nuclear program, and we should work hard to support it." He emphasized that halting the program is in the best interest of all parties involved.
U.S. President Donald Trump echoed similar sentiments, reiterating on Wednesday that he maintains good relations with Kim Jong-un and stated his intention to meet with the North Korean leader later this year. However, he did not provide any further details about the potential meeting.
Chung added that now is the right time for both the U.S. and North Korea, and urged Trump and Kim to ensure that the momentum between the two sides is maintained and expands into a framework that eventually includes South Korea and China as well.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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