김정은-푸틴, 오늘 낮 첫 정상회담…비핵화•경협 논의 관측<br /><br />It's the first meeting in eight years between the leaders of North Korea and Russia, and the first between these two leaders in particular.<br />But will these talks help with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula?<br />For more on today's summit,... our foreign ministry correspondent Lee Ji-won is on the line for us.<br />So Ji-won, what can you tell us so far?<br />Devin, we are now three hours into the first Kim-Putin summit. <br />Now there's been a little bit of a delay in schedule. <br />After the leaders' one-on-one sitdown finished at around 3,... the leaders started their expanded meeting about an hour later. <br />So we are now about an hour into the expanded meeting,... with two more hours left to go.<br />North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho and vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui have joined Kim Jong-un in the expanded meeting,... while on the Russian side,... all the delegates, including the ministers of transportation, and Far East development, are known to be at the meeting. <br />Now I'll go back a little,... and give you a brief recap of what happened earlier today. <br />The leaders met slightly past 2 p.m, local time,... at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island. <br />And at around 2-10, the leaders began with their one-on-one sitdown. <br />There, the two leaders exchanged some opening remarks. Let's have a listen.<br />"I believe our meeting will be a very useful one in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one. The world is currently focused on the issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula. I think our talk today will be meaningful in that it allows us to exchange views and evaluations on the issue, and jointly search for a solution ahead."<br /> . . <br />"I'm convinced that your visit to Russia today will contribute to the development of bilateral relations, and help to gain a better understanding of the possible ways to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula and what Russia can do to support the process."<br />Now, according to local media,... the two leaders are expected to hold a joint press conference at around 7 p.m., once their expanded talk is done, which will likely be followed by a dinner banquet. <br />So what are we expecting to come out of today's talks?<br />Well Devin, like the two leaders have been emphasizing in their remarks, it seems they have mostly focused on the North's current talks with the U.S. <br />Russian presidential aide, Yuri Ushakov had also said that the focus of today's talk will be on finding a diplomatic solution to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. <br />But like you said,... this is the first Pyeongyang-Moscow summit in eight years,... the last one being in 2011 with Kim's late father Kim Jong-il meeting with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.<br />And as much as the summit is seen as Kim Jong-un's effort to seek support from
