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S. Korea, U.S. eye summit next week

Nov. 3, 2014 - 10:38 By KH디지털2

South Korea and the United States are in talks to arrange a summit between their leaders on the sidelines of a series of regional conferences next week, government sources said Monday.
   
The meeting, if realized, would likely be held during the East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw, Myanmar between Nov. 12 and 13 or during a summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in Brisbane, Australia between Nov. 15 and 16, the sources said on condition of anonymity.
   
South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her U.S. counterpart Barack Obama are both scheduled to attend the regional meetings in addition to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing, China from Nov. 10-11.
   
If they meet one-on-one, the two leaders are expected to discuss recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the tensions caused by South Korean civic groups' flying of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border and North Korea's angry reaction to the campaign.
   
Defense and security issues are also likely to be on the agenda following last month's agreement between the allies to postpone Seoul's takeover of wartime control of its troops from Washington.
   
Park and Obama last met in Seoul in April.
   
A meeting this month would be watched closely for a possible joint message to Pyongyang especially as both leaders are scheduled to hold separate summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
  
China is the North's last-remaining major ally and its largest economic benefactor. (Yonhap)