Trump cancels North Korean summit over Kim’s ‘open hostility’

US President Donald Trump has cancelled the planned June 12 summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, citing the “tremendous anger and open hostility” in a recent statement from North Korea.

In a letter to Mr Kim released by the White House, Mr Trump said that, based on the statement, he felt it was “inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting”.

The President said the North Koreans talk about their nuclear capabilities “but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used”.

He said in the letter that the world is losing a “great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth” now that the summit has been scrapped.

Mr Tr ump a dded: “T hi s missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”

In the statement cited by Mr Trump, the North Korean government referred to Vice President Mike Pence as a “political

Meeting off: Kim Jong-un

dummy” and said it is just as ready to meet in a nuclear confrontation as at the negotiating table.

Mr Trump told Mr Kim “please do not hesitate to call me or write” should he change his mind about a one-on-one meeting.

Earlier yesterday it was report that North Korea had carried out what it said is the demolition of its nuclear test site, setting off a series of explosions over several hours in the presence of foreign journalists. The explosions at the site deep in the mountains of the nation’s sparsely populated north east were centred on three tunnels into the underground site and a number of observation towers in the surrounding area.

The planned closing was previously announced by leader Kim ahead of the now cancelled summit with President Trump.

The decision t o close t he Punggye-ri nuclear test site was generally seen as a welcome gesture by Mr Kim to set a positive tone ahead of the meeting, which the US leader called off just hours later.

Even so, it is not an irreversible move and would need to be followed by many more significant measures to meet Mr Trump’s demands for real denuclearisation.

By bringing in the foreign media, mainly television networks, North Korea is apparently hoping to have images of the closing — including explosions to collapse tunnel entrances — broadcast around the world.

International inspectors were not invited to the ceremony.