WORLD Summit off over N Korea ‘ anger’

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has dramatically quit his planned nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong- un.

Mr Trump was to meet Kim next month in Singapore to begin negotiating denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula in return for the easing of economic sanctions on the rogue state.

But he dramatically withdrew yesterday, citing “tremendous anger and open hostility” from Pyongyang.

Following an aggressive statement from North Korea’s foreign affairs ministry, which labelled US Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” and threatened a nuclear “showdown”, Mr Trump released an open letter withdrawing from the talks.

In response, North Korea released fresh images of what it says was the demolition of a nuclear test site just hours before Mr Trump’s “abrupt” withdrawal from talks.

Pyongyang described Mr Trump’s decision as “extremely regrettable” and said the meeting could still go ahead.

“We again state to the US our willingness to sit face- toface at any time in any form to resolve the problem,” a statement from the North Korean foreign ministry said.

In his letter, Mr Trump said that he felt it was “inappropriate, at this time, to have this long- planned meeting”.

“Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place,” Mr Trump said.

“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.”

Mr Trump later said it was possible the meeting may still proceed if North Korea were to tone down its confrontational language. Describing the cancellation as a “tremendous setback” for North Korea and the world, he said he believed dialogue was still an option.

“Hopefully everything is going to work out well with North Korea,” he said.

“A lot of things can happen. Including the fact that, perhaps, it’s possible the existing summit could take place or a summit at some later date.

“Nobody should be anxious. We have to get it right.”

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop described the withdrawal as “regrettable” and urged the world to not make assumptions about what it meant.