US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines visited the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) along the border with North Korea as part of a visit to South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported. Haines' visit comes a week ahead of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's first summit with new US President Joe Biden in Washington.
Yonhap published photographs of Haines leaving her hotel in Seoul and a convoy of vehicles it said was carrying her and other members of the US delegation arriving at the DMZ. She was expected to take a brief tour of the Joint Security Area in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, where talks with North Korea have been held in the past, among other areas, Yonhap reported.
The US Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and it was not clear if the American delegation had sought a meeting with North Korean officials during her trip.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service declined to comment on the visit, citing security concerns. Stalled denuclearisation talks with North Korea are expected to top the agenda of next week's summit in Washington, with Moon expected to press Biden to engage with North Korea. - AFP
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