U.S. envoy Stephen Biegun arrives in North Korea

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. special envoy on North Korea arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday, ahead of the planned second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Stephen Biegun is expected to meet North Korea negotiator Kim Hyok Chol in the North Korean capital, South Korean television network SBS reported Wednesday.

Kim Hyok Chol is the former North Korean ambassador to Spain. He also met with Biegun in January. The two sides are negotiating details of the summit in Vietnam, to be held Feb. 27-28, according to Trump during his State of the Union address.

Biegun is likely to raise the issue of North Korea nuclear facilities. The United States is seeking the complete shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear site, which includes plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities.

There may also be discussions regarding a potential U.S.-North Korea liaison office; South Korea opened a North Korea liaison office in Kaesong in 2018.

Biegun could meet with Kim Jong Un during his stay in Pyongyang, according to SBS.

Trump said Tuesday evening during his State of the Union his relationship with the North Korean leader is a "good one," and credited his diplomacy for bringing an end to weapons tests.

"If I had not been elected president of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea," Trump said.

Ahead of their first summit in Singapore last year, Kim Jong Un borrowed a Chinese aircraft to travel south. Given the relative proximity of Vietnam, Kim could opt to take a North Korean aircraft, the Chammae, South Korean news service News 1 reported Wednesday.

He could also take a land route by train, which could take longer but would allow him the opportunity to see the impact of economic reforms in China, according to the report.