An academic forum on affairs affecting the Korean Peninsula will open at the University of Georgia in the United States next month.

The forum will run for four days beginning February 23rd. Korean and U.S. experts from the private sector will take part in the forum to seek ways to resolve key inter-Korean issues and North Korea-U.S. issues.

Former Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan and two legislators are expected to represent South Korea, while the U.S. will be represented by former ambassadors to Seoul Thomas Hubbard and James Laney.

Vice Chairman of the North's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, Ri Jong-hyuk, and other key officials from the North’s foreign ministry have reportedly been invited to attend the forum.

Attention is being drawn to whether the North Korean officials will show up for the experts’ meeting and whether they would seek to sit down with officials of the new U.S. administration.