South Korean official, ‘North Korea is unlikely to participate in the summit’
North Korea is unlikely to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for next week in China, and the possibility of a meeting with the United States on the sidelines of the event remains limited. An official from the South Korean presidential office said this on Thursday, quoted by Yonhap.
“It’s hard to say that the possibility of talks is zero, but I think the chances are not high,” the official said, speaking anonymously and responding to a question about whether Pyongyang would participate in multilateral diplomatic meetings and the possibility of dialogue with Washington.
According to the source, it is particularly unlikely that North Korea will take part in the Apec summit, scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday in Shenzhen. As a result, the chances of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would also be reduced.
Rumors about a possible face-to-face meeting between the two had circulated after Trump had repeatedly expressed his willingness to meet Kim during his stay in China.
