The Latest: Trump says Kim summit more than photo op

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the North Korea summit (all times local):

12:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he believes he's well-prepared for his upcoming sit-down with North Korea's Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon), adding he doesn't believe he needs much preparation for the summit.

Trump told reporters: "I don't think I have to prepare very much. It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done. But I think I've been prepared for this summit for a long time."

Of the summit, set for June 12 in Singapore, Trump says: "It's going to be much more than a photo op."

He adds: "I think it's going to be a very fruitful meeting, I think it's going to be an exciting meeting."

Trump says that despite press reports, former NBA star Dennis Rodman isn't invited to the summit and that he won't be playing golf with Kim.

Trump says of Rodman: "I like him. He's a nice guy. No, he was not invited."

__

12:21 p.m.

President Donald Trump says that it appears his summit with Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) is on for next week in Singapore, but says it's always subject to change.

Hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH'-bay) in the Oval Office to hear his "ideas' on the talks, Trump says: "I hope it continues on this track. If it does the world will be a very happy place."

Abe requested the meeting with Trump to ensure Japan's interests are represented in the Trump-Kim meeting. Speaking through a translator, Abe said he hoped it would be a transformational moment for the region.

Trump says the two leaders will also discuss trade issues. Both Trump and Abe will be traveling to the G-7 meeting in Canada, where the president is expected to get an earful from U.S. allies unhappy with his recent tariffs on aluminum and steel.

__

12:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH'-bay) to the White House for consultations before the U.S. leader meets with North Korea's Kim Jong Un next week in Singapore.

Abe requested Thursday's meeting with Trump to coordinate strategy for the next week's talks and to elevate his country's concerns about the summit.

Abe is pushing Trump to raise the issue of Japanese abductees held in North Korea, and he is seeking to ensure that Trump's efforts to negotiate an agreement with Kim don't harm Japan's interests.

U.S. allies in the region have expressed concern that Trump's push to denuclearize the Korean peninsula could ignore the North's sophisticated ballistic missile and chemical weapons programs.