It looks like North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be heading to Vietnam a couple of days ahead of his summit there with President Trump.<br />He's reportedly going to go as a state guest to meet with the Vietnamese president and tour some important sites related to the country's economy.<br />And now, with working-level officials from North Korea and the U.S. in Hanoi, preparations are expected to pick up speed this week.<br />Oh Jung-hee has the latest. <br /> North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might go to Vietnam a couple of days early for a state visit... ahead of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.<br />That's according to Reuters on Saturday... which cited sources familiar with the developments.<br />Kim is scheduled to meet with Trump from February 27th to 28th.<br /> And these sources told Reuters... that Kim Jong-un is to arrive in Hanoi on the 25th to meet with local government officials and attend a summit with the Vietnamese president.<br />The North Korean leader will also take a brief tour around the country -- visiting the manufacturing base of Bac Ninh and the industrial port town of Hai Phong.<br /><br /> With less than two weeks left until the summit, Vietnam is tightening security around key facilities in Hanoi... as more North Korean and American officials start arriving for working-level preparations.<br />First of all, officials in charge of protocol will coordinate on the summit's logistics.<br /> Arriving in Hanoi on Saturday... were Kim Jong-un's close aide... and the director of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, Kim Chang-son,... and his U.S. counterpart, Daniel Walsh, who's the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.<br /> Meanwhile, the two sides' nuclear negotiators are also believed to be meeting in Hanoi this week... to work on the summit agreement.<br />They will be Kim Hyok-chol, North Korea's Special Representative for U.S. Affairs,... and Stephen Biegun, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea.<br />They sat down for three days earlier this month in Pyeongyang to openly talk about their stances.<br /> Biegun told South Korean lawmakers afterwards... that the two sides will start drafting the agreement at their next meeting.<br />The document is believed to center around North Korea's dismantling of the Yeongbyeon nuclear facilities and their verification... and rewards in return from the U.S.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
