US holds trilateral meeting on N Korea denuclearization

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The top national security officials from Japan, South Korea and the U.S. met last week weekend to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula ahead of upcoming meetings with Pyongyang, the White House confirmed Monday.

The two-day meeting in San Francisco included U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, South Korean National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong, and Japanese Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shotaro Yachi.

"The three national security advisors committed to avoiding mistakes of the past and to continue coordinating closely in the weeks ahead," the White House said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong un next month in a sit-down expected to lay the ground work for a summit South Korea says was requested by Kim with U.S. President Donald Trump.

North Korea has yet to publicly confirm the meeting, which is expected to be held by May, but no time nor location has been announced.

If it does go forward, it would be historic. No sitting U.S. president has ever sat down with a North Korean leader.