Seoul Detects Possible Signs of Dialogue Between Pyongyang and Washington After Trump’s Overtures

South Korea’s spy agency sees signs that Washington and Pyongyang may be talking, but it cautioned lawmakers that no concrete dialogue has been confirmed. The assessment came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he wanted to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year.

The National Intelligence Service gave its assessment during a closed-door meeting with the intelligence committee of South Korea’s National Assembly. Lawmakers Youn Kun-yeong of the ruling Democratic Party and Yoo Yeong-ha of the opposition People Power Party said the agency reported that there were indications of communication.

The intelligence service also judged that a summit between North Korea and the United States could take place “at any time.” North Korea has not directly responded to Trump’s proposals. It has continued to criticize what it calls Washington’s hostile policy and carried out several missile tests in recent days.

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No concrete facts of dialogue have been confirmed, but there are indications that dialogue is taking place.

The NIS said it had not established contact with North Korea following South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for the two Koreas to begin talks aimed at replacing the armistice with peace. The Korean Peninsula has remained under a technical truce for more than seven decades.

The agency also told lawmakers that Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, appeared to be entering the stage of being designated as her father’s successor, citing her frequent exposure in North Korean media. It said it had obtained and was analyzing “internal documents” from North Korea’s Workers’ Party and “missile blueprints.”

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at any time