Donald Trump said on Monday that a promised second summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un will happen “quite soon,” The Metro is reporting.
Speaking to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, Trump re-iterated that Kim had asked him earlier this month to meet with him for a second time. And without giving a specific timetable, Trump promised that it wouldn’t be long before that meeting took place.
“We will be doing that. It’s going actually faster than anybody would understand.”
As BBC News reports, just a year ago the US and North Korea were exchanging a war of words over the North’s nuclear weapons, with Trump promising “fire and fury” the likes of which the world had never seen if Kim Jong-Un were to launch a nuclear missile at an American target. However, Trump says that things have changed since then.
“That was a very dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time.”
Back in June, Trump and Kim met in Singapore after weeks of negotiations about where the meeting would take place, what would be discussed, and other particulars. The meeting was nothing short of historic — with Kim making a rare departure from his home country — marking the first time that a sitting U.S. president had met face-to-face with a sitting North Korean leader.
got some pics of the museum in Pyongyang, and there’s now pictures of the Singapore summit with President Trump and Chairman Kim ^^ pic.twitter.com/z6iVJIiXcq
— Evilfisher (@evilfisher) September 15, 2018
During the summit, the two sides reached agreement on a variety of issues, including a pledge from the North to end its nuclear program. North Korea also agreed to return the remains of American soldiers, and to participate in follow-up meetings with other Asian leaders — including South Korea. In return, Trump agreed to end “provocative” joint military exercises on the Korean Peninsula with its ally, South Korea.
The North has kept up at least some of its promises agreed upon during the summit. It has made moves towards returning the remains of American soldiers, and recently, Kim Jong-Un met for a face-to-face with South Korea’s Moon Jae-In.
Whether or not the North has kept up its pledge to end its nuclear program, however, remains in dispute. According to a July BBC News report, the program continues in secret.
Trump, for his part, has considered the summit an unqualified success. Earlier this month, as the Inquisitr reported at the time, Trump said that he received a “very warm” and “very personal” letter from Kim himself, asking for a second summit.
According to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the two plan to discuss continued efforts surrounding denuclearization of the peninsula, among other issues.
