(ATTN: ADDS additional info from 4th para, new photo)
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- The state intelligence agency has detected signs that North Korea had been preparing for a possible summit with the United States around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in South Korea, although the meeting did not take place, officials said Tuesday.
The agency also said there is high possibility of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un some time after a regular South Korea-U.S. military drill in March.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered the assessment during a closed-door parliamentary audit session.
"Although the much-anticipated North Korea-U.S. summit during APEC failed to materialize, various channels confirm that North Korea has been preparing behind the scenes for dialogue with the U.S.," said Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the main opposition People Power Party, adding that Pyongyang had analyzed the positions of U.S. administration working-level officials on North Korea.
Trump had expressed his willingness to meet with Kim before his visit to South Korea for the APEC gathering in southeastern city of Gyeongju last week. But North Korea did not respond to Trump's call before Trump left the country on Thursday.
The NIS said Kim has intentions of engaging in dialogue with Trump, citing signs of changes in the North Korean leader's rhetoric regarding the country's nuclear status and attitude in recent weeks.
Kim has refrained from directly mentioning nuclear armament since late September, when he hinted at conditional dialogue with the U.S., according to the NIS.
The agency added that Kim appeared to have deliberated until the last minute whether to dispatch Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui to China and Russia during Trump's Asia tour in October.
"We assess that Kim Jong-un has the will for dialogue with the U.S. and will engage with the U.S. once conditions are met," the NIS said, adding that Pyongyang has recently been gathering intelligence on various high-level officials and figures involved in North Korea and international affairs in Washington.
The NIS also expects North Korea to pursue a summit meeting with Trump after the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise in March next year, leveraging its close ties with Russia and improved relations with China.
Regarding North Korea's involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine, the NIS said around 5,000 construction troops have been moving to Russia since September and are likely to be mobilized for infrastructure reconstruction projects.
Around 10,000 North Korean soldiers are deployed around the Russia-Ukraine border for surveillance missions, while an additional 1,000 military engineers have been sent to remove landmines, according to the NIS.
fairydust@yna.co.kr
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