ROK president holds phone talks with Trump on special envoys' visit to DPRK

SEOUL - President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in held telephone talks Tuesday night with US President Donald Trump on Moon's special envoys' visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Moon's office said.

Moon and Trump talked over phone for around 50 minutes from 9:00 pm local time (1200 GMT) about the scheduled travel by Moon's special emissaries to Pyongyang, according to the presidential Blue House.

The five-member special delegation, led by Chung Eui-yong, top national security adviser of the Blue House, planned to visit Pyongyang Wednesday morning and return home on the same day.

Moon and Trump exchanged opinions about situations on the Korean Peninsula, including the denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington after the DPRK-US summit on June 12, and the upcoming third summit between Moon and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un.

Moon and Trump agreed to maintain close consultations and cooperation in every level between the two sides, the Blue House said.

During their Pyongyang visit, Moon's special envoys would discuss with the DPRK side a detailed schedule and agenda for the third Moon-Kim summit, which the two Koreas agreed to hold in Pyongyang before the end of September.

The ROK leader explained in detail to Trump about the dispatch of his special envoys to Pyongyang, which aimed to consult on ways to build permanent peace on the peninsula through complete denuclearization as well as to prepare for the third summit with the DPRK top leader.

Trump told Moon that he sincerely wished for Moon's special envoys to bear a good result, asking Moon to inform him of the outcome of the special envoys' travel to Pyongyang.

Moon said now is a significant period for settling peace on the peninsula, which would go together with complete denuclearization, stressing that improved inter-Korean relations and eased tensions on the peninsula will contribute to the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the settlement of a lasting peace regime.

Trump expressed his sincere wish that the upcoming inter-Korean summit would bear a good result to enhance ties between the two Koreas, implement the agreements reached at the June 12 DPRK-US summit in Singapore, and help future dialogues.

Moon and Trump agreed to review their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, scheduled for later this month, to deeply consult on future strategy and cooperation ways for the Korean Peninsula issues.