U. S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Wednesday it was unclear if his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore next…
U. S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Wednesday it was unclear if his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore next month would go ahead.
North Korea threw the meeting into doubt, saying it might not attend if Washington continues to demand that it unilaterally abandon its nuclear weapons.
Previous attempts to persuade North Korea to back off its nuclear weapons program have been doomed, in part by the North’s concerns about being attacked and enmity between Pyongyang and Washington.
The following describes how Trump and Kim came to the table and how previous talks failed:
2017-2018 TRUMP RHETORIC, HISTORIC PLAN
After becoming president in January 2017, Donald Trump seeks help from Chinese President Xi Jinping in dealing with North Korea. Moon Jae-in, who favours engagement with the North, is elected president of South Korean in May.
As Pyongyang tests missiles capable of reaching the United States, Trump turns up the tension and in a September 2017 U. N. address threatens to «totally destroy North Korea» while mocking Kim as «little rocket man.» Kim responds with a threat to «tame the mentally deranged U. S. dotard with fire.»
The United States pushes for increased U. N. economic sanctions against North Korea including bans on exports of coal, iron and seafood. Trump addresses the South Korean National Assembly two months later, saying the North will have to take steps toward denuclearization if it wants to talk. He also labels North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation that had been removed in 2008.
The 2018 Winter Olympics, hosted by South Korea, provide a breakthrough with the North sending a delegation to the games.
In March, Trump and Kim agree to meet. North Korea says it will suspend its missile and weapons testing and, despite past insults, Trump praises Kim as «very honourable.»
Trump announces on Twitter on May 10 that the meeting will take place in Singapore on June 12.
North Korea lays out details of a plan to dismantle its Punggye-ri nuclear test site later in May.
