Envoy to the North

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in notified U.S. President Donald Trump of his plan to send an envoy to North Korea in a phone call Thursday. The presidential office said the move is aimed at finding out if Pyongyang will agree to holding talks with Washington on the precondition of denuclearization.

[Pkg]

President Moon Jae-in spoke on the phone with his U.S. counterpart for around 30 minutes starting 10 p.m. Thursday, local time. The liberal leader said Donald Trump he will soon dispatch his envoy to Pyongyang in a reciprocal gesture for the North sending Kim Yo-jong as a special envoy. Moon added his envoy will be tasked with confirming the details of the inter-Korean talks held during the North Korean high-level delegation's visit to the South. He made it clear that the South Korean envoy will find out for sure if Pyongyang is willing to hold talks with Washington on the precondition of denuclearization, one of Trump's longtime demands. The nation's top office is considering National Intelligence Service chief Seo Hoon and Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon as potential candidates. Many agree the envoy must fully convey President Moon's stance. According to sources, Cheong Wa Dae is also considering sending the president's personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the phone meeting, the two leaders agreed to maintain the momentum for inter-Korean dialogue while pursuing denuclearization on the Peninsula. They also vowed to work closely together on further promoting inter-Korean talks.