{"id":363230,"date":"2018-05-29T12:56:58","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T11:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/trump-confirms-n-koreas-ex-top-spy-heading-to-us-for-summit-talks-rt-us-news\/"},"modified":"2018-05-29T12:56:58","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T11:56:58","slug":"trump-confirms-n-koreas-ex-top-spy-heading-to-us-for-summit-talks-rt-us-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/trump-confirms-n-koreas-ex-top-spy-heading-to-us-for-summit-talks-rt-us-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump confirms N. Korea\u2019s ex-top spy heading to US for summit talks \u2014 RT US News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kim Yong-chol, the vice-leader of North Korea and the former head of the country\u2019s intelligence agency, is on his way to the US for talks to arrange the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.<\/p>\n

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Trump has confirmed earlier reports of Kim Yong-chol\u2019s arrival in a tweet. \u201cWe have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea. Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more<\/em>,\u201d Trump tweeted.<\/p>\n

Yonhap earlier reported the North Korean official was due to arrive in the US on Wednesday.The summit is currently scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.<\/p>\n

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We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea. Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more. Kim Young Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, heading now to New York. Solid response to my letter, thank you!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Kim Yong-chol, aged 72 or 73, is under personal sanctions by the US for his alleged role in attacks on South Korea and the 2014 hacking attack against Sony Pictures. During his time as head of the North Korean intelligence service, the Reconnaissance General Bureau (2009-2016), he was targeted for sanctions twice.<\/p>\n

He currently heads the United Front Department, the North Korean office responsible for relations with the South. He was also picked to lead the North\u2019s delegation at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where he watched the closing ceremony next to Trump\u2019s daughter Ivanka. There was no interaction reported between the two at the time, though.<\/p>\n

The upcoming summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un, the first meeting of a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, has been the subject of a fierce back-and-forth for weeks now. Initially scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore, Trump briefly called it off last Thursday over the North\u2019s \u201ctremendous anger and open hostility.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Kim remains skeptical about Washington\u2019s security pledge upon de-nuclearization \u2013 Moon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Less than 24 hours later he said the meeting was back on the cards, seemingly having relented after Pyongyang stated commitment to sitting down with Washington \u201cat any time, in any way\u201d<\/em> to achieve peace in the Korean Peninsula.<\/p>\n

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