Ivanka Trump to visit South Korea this week

Another whirlwind round of diplomacy is expected on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics this week, with US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump set to join the closing ceremony.

Ivanka Trump, who serves as an adviser to her father in the White House, will lead the US delegation to the closing ceremony to be held in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on Sunday, with her travel itinerary and who she will meet yet to be announced.

First lady Kim Jung-sook is likely to receive Trump. She is also likely to receive official treatment on the level of a head of state here, local media reported, quoting officials from the presidential office.

All eyes are on any message Trump might bring on behalf of her father, amid growing speculations of talks between Pyongyang and Washington following rare inter-Korean rapprochement.

Her visit comes two weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent his sister Kim Yo-jong for the opening ceremony of the Winter Games. On Feb. 10, Kim delivered the North Korean leader’s invitation for South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong will also visit South Korea as Chinese President Xi Jinping‘s special envoy on a three-day trip from Saturday, which includes attending the closing ceremony of the Olympics. China sent a delegation led by Han Zheng, No. 7 in the Communist Party of China, for the opening ceremony.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)