'Pyongyang summit will take place in Sept. as planned'

By Lee Min-hyung

The third inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place next month in Pyongyang as planned, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.

“The preparation for the upcoming summit between Moon and Kim remains unwavering,” Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for the presidential house, told reporters.

“Calls for the need to hold the summit have grown at a time when diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea reached a deadlock,” he said.

The remark came days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his planned fourth visit to Pyongyang, as the two countries have yet to narrow their differences over the ongoing denuclearization talks.

Washington and Pyongyang have in recent months clashed over the timetable of the North's pledge for denuclearization. The North has particularly stepped up its criticism of the U.S., calling the latter “unilaterally demanding” denuclearization from the North.

Cheong Wa Dae said the upcoming inter-Korean summit will play a crucial role in resolving the ongoing political deadlock between Washington and Pyongyang.

“We believe the timeline for the inter-Korean summit is unlikely to change,” he said.

Cheong Wa Dae, however, has yet to pinpoint the date, only saying it is still in talks with the North.