NEW YORK -- A United Nations panel on Wednesday granted temporary exemptions from sanctions for North Korean officials traveling to Singapore for a US-North Korea summit.
A UN Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on North Korea was asked by Singapore last week to issue a blanket waiver for the North Korean delegation headed to the June 12 meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, news reports said.
Singapore's letter did not identify the officials, according to the AP and Reuters, both of which cited unnamed diplomats.
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In the document, Singapore said the summit is "an opportunity to advance the objective of a peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue and the establishment of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," Reuters said. North Korea's formal name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
North Korea is under extensive UN sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. They include a global asset freeze and travel ban on dozens of individuals linked to the banned programs.
Whether the summit will be held is still in question after North Korea threatened to pull out last week, citing anger over US demands for a "unilateral" dismantlement of its nuclear program.
Trump said Tuesday the meeting may not happen June 12, but could still take place later, and reiterated his commitment to providing economic and security concessions in return for denuclearization. (Yonhap)
