The two Koreas and the United States are set to hold semiofficial talks in Finland on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of summit talks with North Korea. 

The rare "one-point-five track" meeting will begin on Monday with a dinner hosted by the Finnish government. 

Choe Kang-il, a senior North Korean diplomat handling affairs with the United States, arrived in Helsinki for the talks on Sunday via Beijing. 

From the U.S. side, former ambassadors to South Korea Kathleen Stephens and Thomas Hubbard will attend along with experts on North Korea including Bob Carlin.

South Korea has sent former ambassador to Japan Shin Kak-soo, former ambassador to China Shin Jung-seung and four scholars. 

The participants are expected to discuss upcoming summit talks between the two Koreas, and the U.S. and North Korea. The three nations sent six officials each to the meeting.

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