February 15, 2019 | 10:37 pm PT

US, North Korean delegations in Hanoi for summit preparations

US, North Korean delegations in Hanoi for summit preparations
The plane that carries North Korean delegations lands in Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 16, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Ba Do

U.S. and North Korean delegations are in Hanoi to prepare for the upcoming summit between the leaders of both nations.

The North Korean delegation landed at the Noi Bai Airport Saturday on a Chinese carrier to perform preparatory work for upcoming activities in Hanoi.

They had visited Beijing, China, a day earlier. Kim Chang-son, part of the team overseeing protocol in the run up to the first Trump-Kim summit, is with the delegation in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, several U.S. delegations have arrived in Hanoi over the last few days, with the latest one landing in Noi Bai Airport Friday night.

Delegations of both countries will discuss the summit’s logistics, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

Kim plans to visit Vietnam two days before the summit takes place, according to South Korean television and radio network MBC.

The second Trump-Kim summit is set to be held in Hanoi on February 27 and 28. Vietnam has said it welcomed the event and is taking preparation steps.

Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh officially visited Pyongyang from Tuesday to Thursday.

He said Vietnam was willing to share North Korea the country’s experiences in socio-economic development and international integration as per Pyongyang’s request.

North Korean’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho had earlier expressed interest in discussing ways to improve bilateral relations. He thanked Vietnam for its stance and efforts to push dialogue for a peaceful, secure and developed Korean peninsula.

The first Trump-Kim summit was held in Singapore in June 2018, but negotiations failed to make much headway owing to disagreements on the concept of denuclearization.

Both sides are hoping to make further headway at the upcoming summit.