WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump expressed confidence Tuesday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is “serious” about negotiating over denuclearization, but he acknowledged the possibility that a summit planned for June 12 in Singapore could fall through.
“We’re moving along. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters at the White House, after welcoming South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a meeting. “If it doesn’t happen, maybe it will happen later.”
Later Trump said: “It may not work out for June 12.”
Trump on meeting with Kim Jong Un: “There’s a very substantial chance that it won’t work out and that’s OK… it may not work out for June 12. But, there’s a good chance that we’ll have the meeting.” https://t.co/Z1N5qB0jeS pic.twitter.com/ovpZms2ceg
— CNN (@CNN) May 22, 2018
The uncertainty comes after recent hard line rhetoric from Pyongyang, which has alarmed Trump administration officials and complicated the summit planning. A high-ranking Kim aide last week blasted national security adviser John Bolton, who had suggested the North Koreans would be expected to fully relinquish their nuclear weapons program before receiving reciprocal benefits from the United States.
Administration officials have emphasized that Trump remains committed to meeting with Kim, but they have to nail down key details for the summit, including the agenda and security logistics.
Moon, who met with Kim last month at the demilitarized zone between South Korea and North Korea, is expected to encourage Trump to follow through. South Korea’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, told reporters traveling with Moon from Seoul that the U.S.-North Korea summit is still likely to happen.
“We believe there is a 99.9 percent chance the North Korea-U. S. summit will be held as scheduled,” he said. “But we’re just preparing for many different possibilities.”
