South Korea-U.S. summit likely to be held earlier than expected

SEOUL, April 30 (UPI) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump may meet sooner than expected next month, a Seoul official said.

A South Korean presidential official told reporters Monday that Seoul will take the date of the U.S.-North Korea summit into account, before setting a day and time for a meeting between Moon and Trump.

Seoul and Washington agreed to hold a summit before the U.S. leader meets his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.

Initially expected to be held in late-May or early June, Trump said over the weekend that the meeting will likely take place in the next three to four weeks, narrowing the time frame to May.

The Seoul official said this would mean there wouldn't be much time between the Moon-Trump meeting and the subsequent Trump-Kim summit.

Moon and Kim agreed Friday to fully denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and pursue a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War through a peace treaty.

The terms of their agreements on denuclearization have remained vague, as more detailed negotiations are expected to take place between Trump and Kim.

Regarding Kim's pledge to shut down the North's main nuclear test site of Punggyeri and invite U.S. and South Korean officials and media to the site, the Seoul official said experts from international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency may also be among the visitors.

He added, however, that Seoul cannot yet say whether North will disclose its facilities to, Yonhap reported.

Last week, the IAEA said its experts are ready to inspect North Korea's nuclear facilities, which would only take a few weeks to prepare.