Nine key aides to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will accompany him on his trip to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom this week for a historic summit, a presidential official said Thursday.
The high-ranking entourage consisting of senior party, military and government officials includes Kim Yong-nam, the nominal head of state, and Kim Yo-jong, Kim's younger sister, President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff Im Jong-seok told a press briefing.
Also on the delegation are Kim Yong-chol, a vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's central committee in charge of inter-Korean affairs; Choe Hwi, a vice party chairman and the chief of the national sports body; and Ri Su-yong, a vice party chairman on international affairs.
The list also includes Ri Myong-su, the chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army; Pak Yong-sik, the minister of North Korea's armed forces; Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho; and Ri Son-gwon, the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, North Korea's state agency in charge of inter-Korean affairs.
Moon and Kim will hold a summit on Friday at the border village of Panmunjom. It will be followed by a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim that will be potentially held in May or early June.
It is rare that the North added top military officials and diplomats to the list of its entourage for the summit. In previous summits in 2000 and 2007, such North Korean officials were not included.
"North Korea appears to take into account not only the inter-Korean summit but also the subsequent North-U.S. summit and efforts for international cooperation," Im, the chief of a preparation committee for the summit, said.
"The North seems to include military officials as (North Korea's) denuclearization and ways to establish permanent peace and ease tensions will be mainly discussed," he added.
He also said the two Koreas are still in consultation over whether Ri Sol-ju, Kim Jong-un's wife, will accompany Kim on his trip, but nothing has been decided.
South Korea said it will add Jeong Kyeong-doo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to its entourage. The delegation also includes Im; Chung Eui-yong, the national security advisor; National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon; Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon; Defense Minister Song Young-moo; and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. (Yonhap)