It's only natural to focus on the summit itself at this point... with the big meeting roughly 48 hours away.<br />But thinking ahead.... what's next for North Korea-U.S. relations, denuclearization and the peace process... after Kim Jong-un and President Trump bid each other farewell on Thursday?<br />Shin Se-min takes a closer look. <br />A phone call last week between the presidents of South Korea and the U.S. may have provided some clues about this week's summit.<br />Presidents Moon and Trump floated the idea of South and North Korea resuming their joint projects.<br />President Moon said Seoul is "determined to take up the role if President Trump asks, if that's the way to lessen the U.S. burden." <br />And to that,... President Trump reportedly reacted positively -- perhaps indicating a relaxation of the international sanctions choking the North.<br />That would allow the divided Koreas to resume their economic projects like linking up their railways and roads and even the South Korean tours to Mount Geumgang that had been stalled since 2008.<br />President Moon had said earlier that "when we start economic cooperation between the South and the North, the easiest place to start will probably be the tours to Mount Geumgang." <br />Also up for a potential revival,... joint industrial complex at Gaesong.<br />The complex was shut down in 2016 after North Korea test-fired multiple missiles, and it remains closed due to a ban on forming joint ventures with the North and on operating the financial institutions that would be needed to pay wages.<br />And after the Vietnam summit -- there might finally be a visit to Seoul by Kim Jong-un, which would be a historic first for a North Korean leader.<br />Although Kim had promised to come by the end of last year the visit hasn't happened yet, but with dialogue between Pyeongyang and Washington now back on,... it's believed that Kim might have less to worry about if he did come.<br />What will happen in Hanoi is still very much up in the air,... but hopes are high that the leaders will make a breakthrough and speed up the process of denuclearization and the regime's economic reforms -- starting with deals between the two Koreas themselves.<br />Shin Se-min, Arirang News. <br />
