U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun departed for Hanoi to prepare for next week's summit between the U.S. and North Korea. 

U.S. State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino said in a news briefing on Tuesday that Biegun is en route to the Vietnamese capital, adding Biegun will be continuing to prepare for the second summit taking place next week.

Biegun is expected to launch pre-summit talks with his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok-chol on Thursday, who was seen in Beijing on Tuesday and is likely to arrive in Hanoi on Wednesday. 

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet for a second summit in Hanoi next Wednesday and Thursday.