Donald Trump agrees to meet North Korean leader
NEW MILESTONE US and South Korea welcome North’s offer to suspend nuclear tests with caution WASHINGTON:
President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at his invitation, at a time and place to be determined later, the White House has said.
The announcement on Thursday followed consultations between American and South Korean officials, who had arrived early in the day bearing the invitation from Kim from their meeting in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
Chung Eui-yong, the South Korean National Security Adviser, at the White House said Kim had “expressed eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible” and the American leader had agreed and said he “will meet Kim by May”.
He added the North Korean leader conveyed to the South Koreans he was committed to denuclearisation and had “pledged” to suspend all nuclear and missile tests.
In a separate statement shortly after, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the time and place were yet to be decided.
“President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined,” she said, adding, “We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.”
News of the talks offer was teased in a way by President Trump himself in a rare, unannounced appearance at the White House news briefing room. He told surprised reporters to be prepared for remarks from South Korean officials.
He followed it up with a tweet: “Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!”
Both the United States and South Koreans welcomed the offer of talks and the suspension of missile and nuclear tests with caution. They have seen this movie before.
“The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions,” said Chung.
The talks offer comes after months of escalating tensions driven mostly by a series of nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang that included an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile that could reach the American mainland. These were accompanied by a heated exchange of words between the two leaders. The American president warned North Korea he will rain “fire and fury” on it and will “completely destroy” it.
And it got personal. Trump, who likes short and sharp putdowns, began calling the North Korean leader “little Rocket Man” and a “sick puppy”.
Kim responded calling Trump a “frightened dog”, a “gangster” and “dotard”, an old person, who has become weak and senile.
But tempers cooled down around the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea. Kim sent his sister Kim Yo Jong to head his country’s delegation. She was seated in the same VIP box as US vice-president Mike Pence. Donald Trump “I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly,” said Trump in Feb 2016, calling Kim a “bad dude” and “not somebody to be underestimated”
After an intercontinental ballistic missile test in July
2017, Kim said: "American b***ards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary"
After the North tested another missile in July 2017, Trump tweeted, “Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?”
Trump warned of a strong response from the US in August 2017. “North Korea best not make any more threats to the US.
They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen”
Trump delivered the strongest insult against Kim at the UN General Assembly in September 2017: “If it (US) is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for Kim Jong Un himself and for his regime” Kim responded: “He is unfit to hold the prerogative of supreme command of a country, and he is surely a rogue and a gangster fond of playing with fire, rather than a politician…I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire.”
Trump fired back: “Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!” In January 2018, Kim said: "The entire US is within range of our nuclear weapons, a nuclear button is always on my desk”
Trump responded in a tweet: “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”