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Seoul mulls inviting North Korean leader to APEC summit

US President Donald Trump did not rule out at a recent meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on August 25 that he might visit Gyeongju

SEOUL, August 28. /TASS/. The South Korean authorities don’t rule out inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled to be held in the city of Gyeongju in the fall, the News1 media outlet reported.

"As for plans to invite Chairman Kim Jong Un to the APEC summit, we need [to wait] a while. The US President has indicated at least a desire to talk with Chairman Kim Jong Un, and we are currently at a stage where it is possible to talk about the place, time and format [of such a meeting]," said Kang Hun-sik, the South Korean president’s chief of staff.

The Yonhap news agency, in turn, reported that the South Korean authorities are allegedly inclined to invite the North Korean leader to the summit, set to take place between October 31 and November 1.

US President Donald Trump did not rule out at a recent meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on August 25 that he might visit Gyeongju.

Kang also said that the Seoul authorities were aware of Kim’s plans to visit China to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. "The government was aware of that. Intelligence agencies reported that he planned to announce [the visit] today," the official noted. South Korea will be represented at the Chinese celebrations by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, the country’s second-highest-ranking official.

China intends to hold celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II. On September 3, Beijing will host a major military parade, where China will present domestic military equipment, which is in service with the army. The event will be attended by many foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.