US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could meet in Hanoi for their second summit on Pyongyang’s nuclear plans.
In June last year, Trump and Kim held a historic meeting in Singapore – the first time sitting leaders of the United States and North Korea have ever met. They signed a joint declaration which, among other promises, prepared security guarantees for North Korea, new peaceful relations, and the potential denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Many critics claimed little was gained from the meeting, and the North Korean leader’s most recent remarks raised questions about how much progress has been made. In his New Year’s speech to the world last week, Kim Jong-un reiterated his intention to completely denuclearize North Korea, but added a warning to America, claiming he will “find a new way for defending the sovereignty of the country” if sanctions continue to limit the nation.
Now, according to Bloomberg, South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo has released a report stating it is likely a second meeting will take place in Hanoi, with the schedule already being discussed by officials from each nation. The summit, it is claimed, could address concerns surrounding global security. Government authorities are yet to comment on the report, although the North Korean news source claims to have spoken to high-level diplomats in both Seoul and Washington.
Speculation first grew about a meeting in Vietnam after North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho visited Hanoi at the end of November. What’s more, Trump suggested late last year that a second meeting could take place during the first two months of 2019, meaning the duo could potentially arrive in the Vietnamese capital this month.
[Photo via The Australian]
