President Donald Trump has cancelled the historic summit in Singapore scheduled for next month between himself and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The first face-to-face encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader was cancelled over “tremendous anger and open hostility” on part of Kim, Trump accuses.
“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote in a letter to Kim, which was released Thursday morning.
The cancellation of the June 12 meeting apparently took the South Korean government by surprise. CNBC reports that South Korean President Moon Jae-in was, “trying to figure out what President Trump’s intention is and the exact meaning of it,” according to one of his representatives.
Moon and the nation’s national security council met for an hour after the news broke at midnight. They released a statement which reads:
“It is very regretful and disconcerting that the US-NK summit will not happen as planned. Denuclearization and the lasting peace on the Korean peninsula cannot be abandoned or delayed as they are the historical assignment. The sincerity of the affected parties who have been working to resolve the problem has not changed. It is hard to resolve sensitive and difficult diplomatic issues with the current way of communications. (We) hope that the leaders resolve problems through direct and close dialogue.”
The news comes after North Korea has met the U.S. with sharp words after denuclearization demands. Furthermore, North Korea abruptly canceled talks with South Korea last week out of anger over joint military tests with the U.S. in the Korean Peninsula.
Trump’s cancellation earned quick praise from some Republican lawmakers. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said in a tweet that the president’s move was “100% the right decision.”
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) was a bit more measured in his response. “The North Korean regime has long given ample reason to question its commitment to stability,” Ryan said in a statement. “We must continue to work with our allies toward a peaceful resolution, but that will require a much greater degree of seriousness from the Kim regime.”
There are no details about how the Trump Administration will continue to pursue diplomacy with North Korea and their nuclear program. Yet, Trump has left the diplomatic door open for arranging a new meeting with Kim as the president says, “We’ll see,” in reference to a future meeting.
The full text of Trump’s letter to Kim is as follows:
“May 24, 2018
His Excellency
Kim Jong Un
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democractic People’s Republic of Korea
Pyongyang
Dear Mr. Chairman:
We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is 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. 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.
I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.
If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.
Sincerely yours,
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America”
