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A senior North Korean diplomat is set to meet former US and South Korean officials in Finland for discussions about a potential summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump .
American and South Korea civilian academics will also be present for the meetings, set for Tuesday and Wednesday, which are likely to address the North's denuclearisation pledges.
North Korean officials and former US officials and experts have often held such talks, known as "Track-2”.
An official at the Finnish foreign ministry told CNN the talks were a "Track-1.5 academic meeting".
Show all 21 1 /21North Korea – South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea – South Korea relations: in pictures Pukguksong-2 missile - 2 May 2017 A solid-fuel "Pukguksong-2" missile lifts off during its launch test in North Korea on May 22, 2017. They said that it was examining operational plans for attacking Guam, an angry reaction to UN punishment for previous North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile tests and a US suggestion about preparations for possible preventive attacks to stop the North's nuclear weapons program.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
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AFP/Getty Images
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North Korea – South Korea relations: in pictures Demilitarized Zone Haean-Myeon, is a small military town near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and border between North and South Korea, in Gangwon province. The zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula and was created after the 'Korean Armistice Agreement'. Any negotiations between the two countries tend to take place in this zone.
AFP/Getty Images
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Korean Central News Agency via AP
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AFP/Getty
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Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty
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REUTERS
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South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty
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North Korea – South Korea relations: in pictures North and South Korea have first official talks in over two years - 9 January 2018 Members of the South Korea delegation (R) shake hands with members of the North Korean delegation (L) during their meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas on January 9, 2018. They focused on the forthcoming Winter Olympics after months of tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.
AFP/Getty
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AFP/Getty
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AFP/Getty
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Donga Daily via Getty
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REUTERS
North Korea – South Korea relations: in pictures Anti-North Korea protest - 6 February 2018 A member of a conservative civic group tears a portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an anti-North Korea protest as the North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying a 140-strong orchestra approached.
REUTERS
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REUTERS
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Getty Images
North Korea – South Korea relations: in pictures Mike Pence meets Moon Jae-in - 8 February 2018 US Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea on 8 February, 2018.
REUTERS
It comes after the top national security advisers to the US, South Korea and Japan met to discuss how to achieve the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula".
US National Security Adviser H R McMaster met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Chung Eui-yong and Shotaro Yachi, in San Francisco for talks over the weekend on denuclearisation and the summit talks, South Korea's presidential office said in a statement.
The Blue House said they discussed summit meetings between Mr Kim and the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in.
Seoul said they also discussed a possible meeting between Mr Kim and Donald Trump.
North Korea has yet to confirm North Korea-US talks.
The officials agreed to maintain close trilateral cooperation in the next several weeks and shared a view that it was important not to repeat past mistakes, the statement said.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho met with Sweden's Prime Minister (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton) It did not elaborate, but is interpreted as referring to the criticism that North Korea previously used disarmament negotiations as a way to ease outside pressure and win aid while secretly pressing forward with its weapons development.
Separately, North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong-yo, met Sweden's Prime Minister for talks on Sweden’s role as a diplomatic representative of the US and other countries.
Additional reporting by agencies
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