Seoul the venue for second Kim-Trump summit?
By Park Si-soo
Will U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un get together again? If yes, where?
With positive signals for a second summit coming from all angles, a guessing game on a venue has begun.
As is the case with Singapore that hosted the historic first Trump-Kim summit on June 12, the location of the second meeting will have the honor of being inscribed in history books for hosting one of the groundbreaking political events of the post-World War II era. Another perk would be a lifted international profile, which would make it easier for the location ― a city or a country ― to host big international events or attract tourists.
Against this backdrop, Japanese newspaper
raises the possibility that Seoul or Panmunjeom could host the second Trump-Kim summit.
Citing diplomatic experts there, the newspaper predicted on Wednesday that the summit would take place in October ― before the U.S. mid-term elections on Nov. 6 ― and the location would be either Seoul or Panmunjeom. But it did not rule out the possibility of other places hosting the meeting.
Another Japanese daily, Sankei, takes a different position. Citing Korea experts in Washington, it reported that it is unlikely the second summit will be held in October. But the newspaper said Trump could rush to have the meeting earlier than expected if it would be helpful to winning the mid-term elections.