Trump & Kim meeting in DMZ organized in ‘secret’ by US, N. Korean officials – report

Donald Trump’s history-making meeting with Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was made possible by a last-minute consultation between US and North Korean officials, according to reports.

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun met secretly with North Korean officials on Saturday to hammer out the details of the last-minute rendezvous, according to the Korean Herald. The behind-the-scenes work reportedly took place on the northern side of the Joint Security Area and lasted well past midnight.

Accompanied by Allison Hooker, a US National Security Council official specializing in Korean affairs, Biegun discussed security and other logistics surrounding the planned Trump-Kim negotiations with a North Korean delegation.

While the meeting was hush-hush, suspicions were apparently raised after the two US officials failed to show up for a scheduled dinner at the Blue House, the official residency of the South Korean president.

Trump’s suggestion of meeting with Kim came to him just hours before he arrived in South Korea. In a tweet, the US president offered to meet the North Korean leader at the demarcation line separating South and North Korea.

Trump described the meeting as “historic” and hailed the “tremendous positivity” resulting from it. Both leaders signaled that their closed-door talks, which lasted nearly an hour, were constructive. Kim reportedly said that the brief encounter had helped to solidify trust between the two leaders, and that he was now prepared to meet with Trump “anytime.” For his part, Trump invited Kim to the White House – while acknowledging that it would take time before such a visit could be arranged.

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