FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Trump Concurs with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Working with Kim Jong-un
Sept. 24, 2018 (EIRNS)—President Donald Trump told reporters in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly, that he expects to meet North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un again “quite soon,” following up their extraordinary Singapore summit. Trump said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would arrange the meeting “in the immediate future” by going to North Korea.
On the purpose of these meetings, Trump said there has been “tremendous progress” since one year ago, when the United States and North Korea appeared on the verge of war. “That was a very dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time,” Trump said. He called Kim’s personal letter requesting the second summit “very warm” and “beautiful.” The letter had been delivered by South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Trump’s view accords with President Moon’s, who met with the U.S. President this afternoon in New York. Moon just returned from a three-day meeting with Kim in North Korea, and said that Kim wants “complete denuclearization quickly” in order to focus on North Korea’s economic development.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for his part, said at a UN press conference this morning, “President Trump’s leadership, combined with efforts of countries to enforce the pressure campaign, has de-escalated tensions with North Korea and brought us closer to our final goal: the final, fully verified denuclearization of the D.R.P.K., as agreed to by Chairman Kim Jong-un. Last week’s summit between President Moon and Chairman Kim yielded another positive step forward.”
Answering a question about prospects and timing, Pompeo replied:
“This is a process that will move forward. To set a date certain would be foolish. But make no mistake about it—the conversations that we’re having are important. They’re putting the opportunity to complete the denuclearization in place. And we will continue at every level to have those conversations. Some of them you will all be aware of; some of them you won’t know are taking place.”
