Trump and Kim Agree to Continue Talks to “Resolve Problems” Discussed at Hanoi Summit

SEOUL – U.S. President Donald Trump  and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have agreed to continue productive talks to resolve problems discussed at their Hanoi summit, in order to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and groundbreaking progress in the North Korea-U.S. relationship, state media KCNA said on Friday.

The two leaders had a constructive and sincere exchange of views on practical issues to open a new age in improving North Korea-U.S. relations, KCNA said.

The two leaders saw that efforts and proactive measures taken by both sides to ease tension, propel peace and bring about complete denuclearization on the Korean peninsula has been gravely meaningful in encouraging trust between them and fundamentally changing the distrust and inimical relationship that had continued between the two countries for decades, KCNA said.

The two leaders said their second meeting in Hanoi has been an important chance to build trust and lift the relationship between their two countries to the next level, KCNA said.

President Trump told the media after the talks that he “walked” from the negotiations due to demands he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo considered too high.

“Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn’t do that,” Trump said at a post-summit press briefing alongside Pompeo.

The Secretary of State agreed, saying at the press conference that “unfortunately, we didn’t get all the way that ultimately made sense for the United States of America.”

“I think chairman Kim was hopeful that we would. We asked him to do more. He was unprepared to do that, but I’m optimistic,” he added.

Pompeo spoke again later on Thursday of his confidence that talks would get back on track in the near future, saying no date has been set but that he was “hopeful that Special Representative (Stephen) Biegun and that team will get together before too long.”

By Joyce Lee
Thompson Reuters