A new report revealed that there may be a second meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump.
An official with knowledge of the meeting plans said there is a “strong possibility” of a second summit between the two leaders, which would take place “sometime later this year,” CNN reported Monday.
Although the date and location of a second meeting have not yet been revealed, the official said the exchange of letters between the two leaders was a positive sign of the improved relationship between the nations.
Last week, President Trump tweeted a message of thanks to Kim for the return of U.S. troops’ remains from North Korea. At the end of his message, the President said: “Also, thank you for your nice letter – l look forward to seeing you soon!”
Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action. Also, thank you for your nice letter – l look forward to seeing you soon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018
The comments seem to indicate that the two leaders may have discussed the possibility of a meeting to be held later this year.
Some raised concerns over whether or not the first meeting between the two leaders would achieve the goal of denuclearizing North Korea, as agreed upon at the first meeting. Recent reports have shown North Korea disassembling its nuclear facilities, while other reports have said North Korea is still actively pursuing nuclear activities.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has had several meetings with North Korean officials for ongoing discussions about the denuclearization process.
While he has not given specific details on the content of the meetings, Pompeo has assured that the two nations are making progress toward denuclearization. He advised patience as the two nations work toward building trust with one another.
Over the weekend, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho referred to the Trump Administration’s actions since the summit as “alarming” in the wake of economic sanctions and lack of progress achieving a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War.
After the June summit between the two leaders, President Trump extended economic sanctions against North Korea for an additional year, adding restrictions on fuel imports and other trade.
Pompeo responded to Ri’s remarks over the weekend, saying: “The minister made very clear of their continued commitment to denuclearize,” CNBC reported.
A report from July said that a meeting between President Trump and Kim could take place this fall, potentially in September, but would depend on whether or not North Korea made progress in fulfilling its agreements.
President Trump also extended an invitation to Kim to visit the U.S., which Kim accepted, and even said he would invite Kim to the White House. President Trump also accepted Kim’s invitation to visit Pyongyang.
