South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held phone talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday before accompanying President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang Tuesday for the inter-Korean summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
Kang and Pompeo exchanged opinions about the recent improvement in inter-Korean relations and the preparations for the Pyongyang summit between Moon and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un.
Moon was set to visit Pyongyang for his third summit with the DPRK leader for three days from Tuesday.
Kang would be the country's first foreign minister to accompany a head of state to Pyongyang for the inter-Korean summit. In the past, two Pyongyang summits in 2000 and 2007 each, then South Korean presidents were not joined by foreign ministers.
Kang's visit to Pyongyang was to help President Moon talk with the DPRK leader about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Moon said earlier in the day that the denuclearization was not an issue that can be dealt with by South Korea alone, noting that he would try to find a compromise between what the U.S. and the DPRK sides have demanded.
During the phone talks, Pompeo called for Kang to continue close communications and make continued efforts for the peninsula's denuclearization and the peace regime settlement.
