INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kim Yong Chol is a relied on aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
(Reuters)Seoul, South Korea: A leading North Korean authorities boarded a flight in Beijing on Wednesday bound for New York and talks with
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Korea's Yonhap reported.Kim Yong Chol, a former spy chief and relied on adviser to North Korea's
leader, was on his way for what would be the highest-level meeting in this week's flurry of diplomatic activity targeted at restoring a
President Donald Trump verified in a Tweet on Tuesday.A Reuters witness saw Kim Yong Chol at Beijing International Airport, but did not
observe him board a flight.The former spy chief is a relied on assistant to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a critical role in
preparations for a historic top in between Kim and Trump.Kim Yong Chol is a four-star basic, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's
Central Committee.The White Home has actually stopped short of saying the proposed June top between Trump and Kim Jong Un had actually been
restored after Trump cancelled it last week in a letter to Kim, citing open hostility in North Korean statements.This week's talks are
focused on identifying whether North Korea is prepared to make sufficient commitments toward eliminating its nuclear weapons, a U.S
authorities said, despite Pyongyang's persistence it will not unilaterally denuclearise.American and North Korean authorities have met in
Singapore to go over logistics for a possible top, while mediators from the two sides met again on Wednesday at the demilitarized zone along
the border in between North and South Korea.Trump believes continuous discussions are going effectively, White House spokeswoman Sarah
Sanders said.A representative at South Korea's presidential Blue Home stated he has no specific info about the ongoing talks in the DMZ and
New York City, however is wishing for excellent outcomes
It appears like the talks are going smoothly, he told reporters on Wednesday
We're hoping it would bear a productive outcome
© Thomson Reuters 2018(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is released from a
