ROK, DPRK to hold additional working-level talks for Moon-Kim summit: Blue House

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will hold additional working-level talks early next week to discuss the upcoming summit between ROK's President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, the Blue House of ROK said Sunday.

The two sides agreed to hold the third working-level dialogue early Monday to discuss security, protocol, and media coverage for the Moon-Kim summit at Tongilgak, a DPRK building at the border village of Panmunjom, Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential press secretary, told a press briefing.

The working-level talks would discuss the way and timing of the first encounter between Moon and Kim, how Kim crosses the inter-Korean land border and whether the leaders hold a joint press conference after the summit.

Moon and Kim agreed to hold the third-ever inter-Korean summit on April 27 at the Peace House, a building in the South Korean side of Panmunjom.

Kim would be the first DPRK leader to step onto ROK's soil since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in armistice.

Local media speculations said Kim is forecast to cross the border via an aisle between blue pavilions, which sits in the middle of Panmunjom and straddles the two sides.

Moon is expected to greet the DPRK leader right in front of the border, marked only by a low cement slab, to mark the historical moment.

Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to live broadcast the Moon-Kim summit from the very initial stage, in which the two leaders shake hands.