Flurry of bi-lateral talks during PyeongChang Games

SEOUL – There will be a flurry of diplomatic activity on the sidelines of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games  starting today with South Korean President Moon Jae-in set to hold talks with more than a dozen global leaders from today. A North Korean delegation is attending the Games, with some hoping for a breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Moon will hold his first summit with Estonian President, Kersti Kaljulaid, at Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) today followed by bilateral talks with Canadian Governor- General, Julie Payette, and Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, tomorrow.

On Thursday, he will hold meetings with Swiss President, Alain Berset, German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Han Zheng, a member of China's Standing Committee, and Polish President, Andrzej Duda, before being joined by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence for dinner at Cheong Wa Dae. 

On Friday, the day of the PyeongChang Opening Ceremony, Moon will travel to Gangneung to meetU.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. He will then move to Pyeongchang for bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte. 

The South Korean President is also scheduled to hold talks with Latvian President, Raimonds Vejonis, on February 13, Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, on February 15, and with Slovenian President, Borut Pahor, on February 20.  www.korea.kr (ATI).