South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has yet to decide on her attendance to the Munich Security Conference (MSC), but if she does go she may have a meeting with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to discuss Seoul's plans to expand exchanges with Pyongyang, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Monday, citing officials
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2020) South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has yet to decide on her attendance to the Munich Security Conference (MSC), but if she does go she may have a meeting with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to discuss Seoul's plans to expand exchanges with Pyongyang, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Monday, citing officials.
This year's MSC, an annual gathering of the world's foremost security experts, politicians and diplomats for discussions on pertinent global security issues, will be held from February 14-16.
According to Yonhap, the foreign minister's participation in the event is likely to result in a one-on-one meeting with Pompeo, who is expected to attend the talks alongside Defense Secretary Mark Esper and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The agency reported that one of the key issues that might be discussed during the possible meeting was Seoul's intention to broaden inter-Korean exchanges, including the possibility for South Korean nationals traveling to the North on their own and efforts to facilitate the resumption of nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
According to Yonhap, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi may also attend the MSC, which could result in a trilateral meeting between top South Korean, US and Japanese diplomats.
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong is also expected at the forum, but since he is responsible for European affairs, meaningful discussions with Kang and Pompeo are unlikely to happen, the agency said.
Earlier in January, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said during his annual press conference that cooperation between Seoul and Pyongyang was extremely important not only for developing bilateral relations but also for pushing the North Korea-US dialogue forward. The president also stated that Seoul might ask for some exceptions from UN sanctions against North Korea to expand inter-Korean cooperation.
