President Trump meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House on Tuesday in hopes of resetting suddenly precarious diplomacy with North Korea, less than three weeks before a tentative June 12 summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
President Trump threw plans for next month’s historic summit with North Korea into greater uncertainty on Tuesday even as he met at the White House with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in to try to keep the diplomatic breakthrough on track.
« It may not work out for June 12, » he told reporters at one point, then further confused the question by adding, « There’s a good chance that we’ll have the meeting. »
Trump refused to fully commit to the session in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, vowing to attend only if U. S. conditions are met. North Korean denuclearization, the president said, « must take place, » but he stopped short of demanding that Kim end his nuclear weapons program all at once.
« All-in-one would be nice, » Trump said. « Does it have to be? I’m not sure I want to totally commit myself. »
Moon, who is deeply invested in peace talks and eager to see the Trump-Kim summit occur, sat mostly quietly beside Trump as the U. S. president answered reporters’ questions, often without allowing the interpreter seated just behind his armchair to translate his remarks for Moon.
During Moon’s own brief remarks amid the prolonged back-and-forth between Trump and reporters, he lavished praise on Trump — as he has in past meetings — for helping steer North and South Korea closer to a possible peace agreement.
« Thanks to your vision of achieving peace through strength, and your strong leadership, » Moon said through a translator, « …we find ourselves standing one step closer to the dream of achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and world peace. »
Trump was less outwardly optimistic. « We’ll see what happens, » Trump said. « Whether or not it happens, you’ll be knowing pretty soon. »
Moon also sought to counter the « many skeptical views within the United States » about whether the summit can succeed, or North Korea will keep any commitments, based on past failures.
« I don’t think there will be positive developments in history if we just assume that because it all failed in the past, it will fail again, » Moon said.
