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Monday, 31 August 2026 Reading Room

World

백악관 ‘북미정상회담’ 대비 나선 정황…미군유해발굴 기관 접촉해

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hani.co.kr ·

The White House is taking proactive measures ahead of the U.S.-North Korea summit, as revealed by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPAA) and Missing Personnel Verification Agency (MPVA) director, Colonel Kelly McCarthy. On the 31st, McCarthy informed the White House that the National Committee for North Korea-U.S.

Relations (NCNK) had posed a question to the White House regarding the potential role DPAA could play in recovering and identifying U.S. service members' remains if a consensus between President Trump and Kim Jong-un could be reached. DPAA is responsible for the recovery, identification, and repatriation of U.S. service members' remains.

McCarthy emphasized that their readiness to collaborate with North Korea in such a scenario mirrors the approach taken during the 2018 Singapore summit. The DPAA suggested a four-stage process of joint excavation teams, each operating for 45 days, which they proposed would be appropriate for North Korea, as the North is familiar with this method.

McCarthy noted that these discussions and responses occurred without specifying the timing. This development suggests that the White House is diligently preparing for a new summit, with recent meetings including the 2018 Singapore, 2019 Vietnam, and 2019 Panmunjom summits. The DPAA director expressed hope that President Trump would meet with Kim Jong-un, mirroring his willingness to do so during his first term.

Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

Read the original at hani.co.kr →

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Xi Jinping and Putin to Hold Second Meeting This Year…No Progress on ‘Siberian Power-2’ The leaders of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, are expected to hold their second meeting this year. The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the 2022 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The two leaders are likely to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation on regional and global issues. However, there has been no progress on the ‘Siberian Power-2’ gas pipeline project. The project, which aims to supply Russian gas to China through a new pipeline, has been under discussion for several years. Despite previous agreements, the project has faced delays and challenges. The two countries have been discussing the project since 2014, but a final agreement has yet to be reached. Russia's Gazprom and China's National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed a memorandum of understanding on the project in 2015. However, the project has been put on hold due to differences over pricing and other issues. The project is expected to have a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The pipeline will stretch over 2,600 kilometers from Russia's Siberia region to China's northeastern region. The project is seen as a key part of China's efforts to diversify its energy sources and reduce its reliance on coal. It is also expected to strengthen Russia's position as a major energy supplier to China. Despite the delays, both countries are expected to continue working on the project. The meeting between Xi and Putin is seen as an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss the project and other issues. The two leaders are likely to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation. The meeting is also expected to focus on regional and global issues, including the situation in Ukraine and the security situation in Central Asia. The two leaders will also discuss ways to promote trade and investment between the two countries. Bilateral trade between China and Russia has been growing rapidly in recent years. In 2021, bilateral trade between the two countries reached a record high of $146.9 billion. The two countries have set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2024. The meeting between Xi and Putin is expected to help promote cooperation and strengthen relations between the two countries.

·hani.co.kr

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