DPRK top leader meets with ROK delegation

Chinese spokesman hails visit, hopes for 'positive outcomes'

Envoys for the Republic of Korea became the first to meet with Kim Jong-un at a dinner in Pyongyang, an ROK presidential spokesman said.

A 10-member ROK delegation was greeted by officials from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea after landing in Pyongyang, said Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the ROK's presidential office.

The envoys are on a mission to mediate talks between the United States and the DPRK.

The delegation, composed of five emissaries and five working-level officials, was led by Chung Eui-yong, top national security adviser for ROK President Moon Jae-in and head of the National Security Office.

Also included in the delegation that met with the DPRK's top leader were Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, Vice-Minister of Unification Chun Hae-sung, Second Deputy NIS Director Kim Sang-gyun and Yun Kun-young, a senior Blue House official.

"We will deliver President Moon Jae-in's wish to bring about denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace by extending the goodwill and better inter-Korean relations created by the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics," Chung said before the delegation's departure.

Beijing said it hopes the dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang could be expanded to all parties, including between Pyongyang and Washington.

"We believe this is a good move and expect the visit to achieve positive outcomes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at Monday's regular news conference.

China repeatedly welcomed and supported the dialogues and interactions between Pyongyang and Seoul during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as well as the hard-won positive momentum on the Korean Peninsula, Geng said.

China hopes all parties will consider the overall peace and stability on the peninsula and work in the same direction, he said, adding that he expected that efforts to improve inter-Korean relations would be expanded to joint efforts for denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

China is willing to play a positive role on this regard, he said.

Li Chengri, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the ROK wants to grasp the friendly atmosphere between the two countries during the Olympics and take the opportunities to defuse the Korean Peninsula crisis.

Before leaving for Pyongyang, Chung told media that he will convey to the DPRK side Moon's firm will and resolution to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and build a genuine, lasting peace.

The chief delegate said the emissaries will carry out an in-depth discussion on ways to continue a variety of dialogues between the DPRK and the international community, including the US, as well as inter-Korean talks.

The Blue House indicated that the delegation's key mission was to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

Baik Tae-hyun, a Unification Ministry spokesman, told a press briefing on Monday that the delegation's main focus is to encourage the start of the DPRK-US talks to advance a denuclearized peninsula.

After returning to Seoul on Tuesday afternoon, the envoys will brief Moon on their trip before visiting Washington to brief the US side on the outcome of the talks.

Chung and Suh reportedly plan to visit Washington this week to discuss the possible start of talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

Last week, Moon said Washington needs to "lower the threshold for talks" with Pyongyang in having dialogue between the two.

In the meantime, Washington has ruled out any possibility of talks before Pyongyang takes steps toward denuclearization, and imposed what Trump hailed as the "toughest ever" sanctions on DPRK late last month.

Xinhua and Reuters contributed to this story