The White House outlined a frenzy of diplomatic activity Tuesday aimed at resurrecting the June 12 summit in Singapore between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump accepted Kim’s invitation to meet in March, but canceled the summit last week, citing the “open hostility” of North Korean officials who denounced Vice President Mike Pence after he suggested the U.S. might follow a “Libya model” of nuclear disarmament.
But even as he canceling the summit, however, Trump left open the door to a meeting. Kim had a surprise visit with South Korea’s president over the weekend, and Trump rejected reporting that said it would be impossible to reschedule the summit for June 12 because time is running short.
“Since the President’s May 24th letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the North Koreans have been engaging. The United States continues to actively prepare for President Trump’s expected summit with leader Kim in Singapore,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Tuesday.
Sanders outlined a series of meetings ahead of the potential meeting.
“President Trump will meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on June 7th here at the White House,” she said. “North Korean Vice Chairman of the Central Committee, Kim Yong Chol, is traveling to New York and will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later this week.”
“We also have a U.S. delegation meeting with a North Korean delegation in the DMZ,” she added. “The United States delegation consists of Sung Kim, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; Allison Hooker, Director for Korea for the NSC; and Randy Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at the Department of Defense. They plan to have additional meetings this week.”
“Separately, Joe Hagin, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and the U.S. pre-advance team are in Singapore coordinating the logistics of the expected summit,” Sanders said. “Lastly, Ambassador John Bolton has had calls with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts virtually every day, including speaking with his South Korean counterpart this morning. These calls have been ongoing over the last couple of weeks.”
