S Korea to send 7-member delegation to N Korea for working-level talks

Seoul [South Korea], Apr 3 (ANI): South Korea on Tuesday will send a seven-member delegation for working-level talks to North Korea, scheduled for Wednesday, in order to discuss security and protocol matters, ahead of the inter-Korean summit this month, according to government officials.

The South Korean unification ministry said in a statement, citing Yonhap news agency, that Seoul informed Pyongyang of the composition of the delegation.

The seven-member delegation would be led by Cho Han-ki, a presidential secretary on protocol. The working-level talks would take place in Peace House, located on the southern side of Panmunjom border village, situated along the heavily-guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

Last week, the two Koreas agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit, which would be chaired by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. This would be the first time in 11 years that a summit would be held.

The South Korean's delegation will also include Shin Yong-wook, a senior presidential security officer, and Kwun Hyuk-ki, director of the press centre at the presidential office 'Cheong Wa Dae' respectively.

The working-level talks come ahead of the April 27 summit, where the two Korean leaders are expected to discuss on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a peace plan, in an effort to improve the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Kim will be the first North Korean leader ever to cross the DMZ border, which acts as the de facto border between the two Koreas.

There has been a pressing need for the denuclearisation of North Korea by Japan, the US, China and South Korea. On the same lines, a proposed summit is expected to take place between US President Donald Trump and Kim in May. (ANI)