Multi-million dollar projects can boost North Korea-U.S. nuclear talks: South Korea minister

FILE PHOTO: Residents hold the US and North Korean flags while they wait for motorcade of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un en route to the Metropole Hotel for the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. REUTERS

Inter-Korea commercial projects that can channel millions of dollars a year to Pyongyang may be used as leverage to boost talks on ending poor and isolated North Korea’s nuclear program, the South’s point man on the North said on Thursday.

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said that, while U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had a high level of personal confidence, there was still considerable distrust among aides that was hindering progress in dialogue.