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JSA is a likely option for U.S.-N.K. summit: S. Korean official

March 12, 2018

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) — The Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjeom, located on the demarcation line separating the two Koreas, is one of the likely venues for the agreed-upon summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a South Korean official said Sunday.

The remark was made after Trump agreed to meet with the North’s leader by May, accepting Kim’s offer to meet as soon as possible. The envisioned meeting would be a historic first between leaders of the two Cold War foes.

“Places like Switzerland, Sweden or Jeju Island have been gaining a lot of attention (as possible venues for the meeting), but we also view the JSA as a serious option,” an official from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae told reporters.

The area has been the site of countless talks between the two sides following the Korean War (1950-53).

“If North Korea and the U.S., who are the directly involved parties of the truce agreement, hold the summit at Panmunjeom, it would hold the significant meaning of turning a symbol of division into one of peace,” the official, who did not wish to be identified, said.

Leaders of the two Koreas are also planning to meet at Panmunjeom next month.

Yet, where to hold the summit will have to be further discussed between Washington and Pyongyang, and various factors, including security issues, must be considered, the official added.

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)