Published : Feb. 28, 2019 - 10:58
HANOI, Vietnam – US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un resumed summit meetings at 8:55 a.m. Thursday at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi.
Kim and Trump arrived at the hotel ahead of the scheduled 9 a.m. one-on-one meeting, and briefly spoke in front of cameras starting the day of talks.
(Yonhap)
“Much effort has been made, and now is the time to show (results). A great conversation is being continued for the second day here in Hanoi,” Kim said, saying that the world’s attention is turned to the meeting.
“(I) will do all I can to achieve good results.”
Kim later commented that while he does not wish predict the outcome of the meeting his instincts tell him that good results are in store.
Trump responded by saying that his meeting with Kim the previous day led to “a very good discussion” where “a lot of great ideas were being thrown.”
The US president once again touted his relationship with Kim.
“The relationship is very strong. And when you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen,” Trump said.
Trump, however, showed a hint of caution in expressing too much optimism for Thursday’s meeting, saying “I can‘t speak necessarily for today but I can tell you that this is a little bit longer term and over a duration of time I know that it’ll be a fantastic success.”
Trump went on to add that speed with which denuclearization is achieved is not the important factor, and said that he and Kim have “developed something very special” with respect to factors that led to the North halting missile and nuclear tests.
The meetings began with a one-on-one session, scheduled to last about 45 minutes, followed by a two-hour expanded summit meeting attended by senior aides from the two sides.
Kim and Trump will then have lunch together, and a ceremony signing the agreement from the summit is scheduled at 2:05 p.m., Vietnam time.
By Choi He-suk and Jo He-rim (
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com) (
herim@heraldcorp.com) The Korea Herald Correspondent