Seoul welcomes Kim Jong-un's possible trip to Russia: official

NUR-SULTAN, April 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea would welcome a trip to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as it could help move forward the efforts to denuclearize the North, a senior official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

"I understand Chairman Kim Jong-un may visit Russia and I believe it would be a good thing to South Korea because it is a part of the process to denuclearize (the Korean Peninsula) and it may lead to good outcomes," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The official is currently on a visit to the capital of Kazakhstan along with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who arrived here Sunday on a three-day state visit.

The official also partly confirmed earlier reports that the South Korean president may be carrying a personal message for the North Korean leader from U.S. President Donald Trump.

"I cannot reveal the contents (of the message), but I believe it will be delivered along with the outcome of the South Korea-U.S. summit when an inter-Korean summit is held," the official said.

Moon and Trump met in Washington earlier in the month after Trump's second meeting with Kim collapsed without a nuclear deal.

The second Trump-Kim summit was held in Hanoi late February.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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