Seoul Welcomes Trump's Consideration of Panmunjom as Venue for Summit with Kim
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - South Korea's presidential office said on Tuesday that the border truce village of Panmunjom, if chosen for the upcoming US-North Korea summit, would serve as a meaningful venue to mark a "new milestone of peace", Yonhap news agency reported.
The remarks came after US President Donald Trump mentioned Panmunjom as a possible site for his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expected to be held this month or in June.
"(We) think Panmunjom is quite meaningful as a place to erode the divide and establish a new milestone for peace," a senior presidential official told reporters. "Wouldn't Panmunjom be the most symbolic place?"
Panmunjom is the site where South Korean President Moon Jae In and Mr. Kim held their historic summit last Friday (April 27).
The third cross-border summit led to a series of landmark agreements, including the leaders' affirmation of the shared goal of "complete denuclearization."
For the Trump-Kim summit, a couple of countries have been mentioned, including Singapore and Mongolia. Mr. Trump is expected to pick a site soon for the high-stakes, unprecedented summit with the reclusive leader.
"Numerous countries are being considered for the MEETING, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the Border of North & South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country?" Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday. "Just asking!"
At a news conference with visiting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari later on Monday, Mr. Trump suggested the Peace House on the Demilitarized Zone was a likely setting for his meeting with Mr. Kim.
"We're looking at various countries, including Singapore. And we are also talking about the possibility of the DMZ Peace House/Freedom House," Mr. Trump said.