North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump met in Hanoi on Wednesday for their second summit, with the US president saying he will not back down on US demands for North Korea’s denuclearisation.Kim and Trump shook hands and smiled briefly in front of a row of their countries’ flags, and banks of press, at the Metropole Hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
Trump told reporters he thought the talks would be very successful, while he was “not walking back on denuclearisation”.
Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, Trump said: “We’ll see.”
Kim said they had overcome obstacles to hold the summit in Vietnam and had needed patience since their first meeting in Singapore last year. He said he hoped these talks would be successful.
“I am certain that an outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people,” Kim told Trump. “I will do my best to make that happen.”
Trump and Kim are scheduled to hold a 20-minute, one-on-one chat followed by a dinner with aides.
Trump will be accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Kim will be joined by his top envoy, Kim Yong Chol, and Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.