Kim-Trump summit likely to be held as scheduled

Singapore's financial skyline is seen lining the edge of the Singapore River in Singapore in this May 10, file photo. / AP-Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are apparently likely to hold their first summit as scheduled on June 12 in Singapore.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, while holding a media briefing Sunday, on his surprise meeting with the North Korean leader the previous day, said Kim seemed determined to meet Trump as scheduled for a denuclearization deal.

“Our two leaders confirmed that the success of the North Korea-U.S. summit should be achieved and the journey toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the permanent peace regime should be carry on,” said President Moon.

“Also, we reaffirmed fast implementation of the April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration. In order to do so, we agreed to hold a high-ranking official meeting on June 1 as well as meetings of military officials and Red Cross officials for the separated Korean families. ”

North Korea also expressed its willingness to hold the summit through its media Sunday saying the Singapore summit has been set for June 12, while U.S. President Donald Trump also said that “the schedule hasn't changed.”

Seen is the front page of the North Korean newspaper Rodong Shinmun's Sunday edition. / Yonhap

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's Worker's Party newspaper, reported the second Moon-Kim summit saying, “Our Chairman (Kim Jong-un) expressed his fixed will on the historic North-U.S summit as well as gratitude over Moon's efforts, who tried hard for the North-U.S. summit, which is scheduled to be held on June 12.”

This was the first time for the North to have revealed the specific date of the summit with Trump through its media.

President Donald J. Trump speaks with Joshua Holt after his return to the to the U.S. at The White House in Washington, Saturday. / UPI-Yonhap

Meanwhile, Trump made remarks showing his desire to carry out the summit as scheduled.

“We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. It hasn't changed,” President Trump said at the White House during a meeting with a U.S. prisoner, Joshua Holt, freed by Venezuela, Saturday. Trump made his remarks right before President Moon had a public announcement Sunday.

“It's moving along very nicely,” Trump said.

During the meeting with Holt, Trump also hinted that official meetings were being held saying, “going on as we speak in a certain location which I won't name, like the location, it's not very far from here.”

Trump has reversed his statement about the summit made Thursday by sending Kim an official letter apparently cancelling the June 12 meeting, citing “open hostility” from Pyongyang. But he altered his stance, saying Sunday it could still go ahead after having “goodwill” talks with the North's officials.

Also, on his Twitter account, Trump refuted a New York Times report saying the newspaper company quoted phony sources, late Saturday local time, implying that the agenda of holding the summit on June 12 was still on the table.

“The Failing @nytimes quotes 'a senior White House official,' who doesn't exist, as saying 'even if the meeting were reinstated, holding it on June 12 would be impossible, given the lack of time and the amount of planning needed.' WRONG AGAIN! Use real people, not phony sources,” Trump tweeted.

Meanwhile, Singaporean government officials resumed their registration process for foreign reporters, which was reportedly suspended for a while.

Singapore emerged as the venue for the planned summit from last month. On May 10, Trump has announced that he will meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore on his Twitter.

On Saturday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders reportedly said that the Singapore team for the summit will “prepare should the summit take place.”

U.S. media has reported that the White House preparation team is scheduled to depart Sunday for Singapore via Japan for meetings aimed at holding to the initial June date. The U.S. presidential office declined to comment on the issue.