Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A3

January 8, 2018

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » World

Trump ‘absolutely’ willing to talk with NK’s leader

Source: Agencies | 00:01 UTC+8 January 8, 2018 | Print Edition

DONALD Trump has said he will “absolutely” be willing to talk on the phone to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the United States president hopes a positive development results from talks between North Korea and South Korea.

North Korea agreed last Friday to hold official talks with South Korea this week, the first in more than two years, hours after Washington and Seoul delayed a military exercise amid a stand-off over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

Trump, answering questions from reporters at the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland on Saturday, expressed a willingness to talk to Kim but not without preconditions.

“Absolutely, I would do that,” Trump said. “I have no problem with that at all.”

Trump and Kim have exchanged insults ever since Trump took office, with the US leader repeatedly calling Kim “rocket man” for testing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Last week, Trump dismissed Kim’s taunt that the North Korean leader has a nuclear button on his desk, saying he has a bigger button.

The talks between the two Koreas are expected to cover the Winter Olympics, to be held in South Korea next month, and inter-Korean relations.

Trump suggested the talks might lead to an easing of tensions and took credit for the diplomatic breakthrough, saying it was a result of his steady pressure. “Look, right now they’re talking Olympics. It’s a start, it’s big start. If I weren’t involved they wouldn’t be talking at all right now.”

Kim “knows I’m not messing around. I’m not messing around. Not even a little bit, not even 1 percent. He understands that,” said Trump.

“If something can come out of those talks, that would be a great thing for all of humanity, that would be a great thing for the world,” the US president said.

North Korea yesterday announced a list of five officials who will represent Pyongyang, a day after South Korea confirmed its representatives.

North Korea’s delegation will be led by Ri Son Gwon, head of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland that is usually tasked with dealing with South Korean affairs.

World


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend