Washington: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected an aide involved in planning summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term as a senior White House official, according to his transition team.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the transition team released a statement announcing Trump's decision to appoint William Beau Harrison as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for operations. Harrison was highlighted for his "critical" role in organizing in-person meetings with the North Korean leader.
The appointment comes amid speculation that Trump may attempt to rejuvenate his personal diplomacy with Kim following his inauguration on January 20. Throughout his election campaign, Trump frequently emphasized his rapport with Kim, claiming to have "got along very well" with the North Korean leader.
The transition team noted, "During President Trump's first term, Mr. Harrison served as the liaison between the operational elements of the Executive Office of the President and was charged with the coordination and execution of all presidential travel, including dozens of complex international visits."
The statement further elaborated that Harrison "has participated in and led multiple U.S. delegations across the globe in countries such as North Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan and played a critical role in planning each of the historic summits with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un." DPRK refers to North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Last month, Trump appointed former Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as his presidential envoy for special missions, which he stated cover "some of the hottest spots" globally, including North Korea.
Trump also appointed Alex Wong, who was involved in working-level nuclear discussions with Pyongyang during his first term, as his principal deputy national security adviser.
Some analysts suggest that the appointments of Grenell and Wong indicate a positive direction for the resumption of U.S. diplomacy towards Pyongyang, although skepticism remains about whether North Korea would respond to diplomatic overtures from Washington given its strengthening ties with Moscow.
In December, North Korea announced its "toughest" counteraction strategy against the United States during a significant meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, led by Kim.
During Trump's presidency, he held three in-person meetings with the North Korean leader, starting with the first summit in Singapore in 2018. Since the unsuccessful summit in Hanoi in 2019, substantial nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been at a standstill.