[Photo] North Korean senior Foreign Ministry official engaging in 1.5 Track talks

Choe Kang-il, deputy director general for the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s North American affairs bureau, departed from Beijing on Mar. 18 to engage in Track 1.5 talks with former US diplomatic officials in Finland. Choe will reportedly be meeting with Kathleen Stephens, who served as a US ambassador to South Korea during the Obama administration. The two sides will further lay the groundwork in advance of a potential summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in May. The Track 1.5 talks come after a North Korean delegation headed by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho held a series of meeting with their counterparts in the Swedish Foreign Ministry led by headed by Foreign Minister Margot Wallström.