Nuclear Issue / KBS뉴스(News)

[Anchor Lead] With the U.S. planning to hold a second summit with North Korea early next year, the officials of South Korea and the U.S. are continuing close discussions of the North Korea nuclear issue. A Seoul official said that even if the U.S.-North Korea summit takes place next year, the peace treaty could be signed this year. [Pkg] A senior Cheong Wa Dae official who visited Washington says that White House National Security Adviser John Bolton had mentioned the possibility of a second U.S. summit with North Korea taking place early next year, which seems to be the right time given the mid-term elections in the U.S. and the time needed to prepare for the summit. The official said that the peace treaty on the Korean War may be signed this year if the working-level talks go as planned. He added that the declaration of the end of war is part of the negotiations and that the U.S. and North Korea will discuss it in detail. The official added that some progress on denuclearization is expected during preparation for the U.S.-North Korea summit slated for next January, and that conditions may be created for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Seoul. The official said that North Korea has not responded yet to the offer by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to hold high-level talks in late October. The official expressed confidence that a meeting between U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun and North Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui will be held separately without fail, because the matter was personally mentioned by Mike Pompeo. Regarding the launch of the inter-Korean project to connect railroads and motorways, the official said that the talks between South Korea and the U.S. have been going well and that good news can be expected soon. Meanwhile, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon has met with Stephen Biegun in the U.S. to discuss North Korea policies, and is currently