U.S. President Trump cancelled his summit with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leader, Kim Jong Un, scheduled for June 12th, in Singapore.
Trump’s decision comes just a few hours after the DPRK reported the demolition of its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri.
In a letter sent to Kim on Thursday, President Trump explained why he didn’t want to meet with Kim any longer.
“Based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting.”
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Trump’s change of heart is possibly due to comments made by DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.
In responding to U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence’s remark that the DPRK “might end up like Libya”, Choe called Pence’s statement “ignorant and stupid”. Choe also went on to say that she would suggest that the DPRK reconsider meeting with the U.S.
“Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States,” Choe said in comments carried by North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency.
Trump cancelled the meeting shortly after Choe’s remarks.
However doubt had grown in recent days about whether Trump’s summit with Kim would actually take place. The DPRK abruptly canceled talks with South Korea last week out of anger over joint military tests with the U.S. in the Korean peninsula.
Trump suggested that the DPRK’s attitude shifted following a second surprise meeting between Kim and Chinese president Xi Jinping.
U.S. officials had also grown increasingly skeptical of Pyongyang’s commitment to denuclearization.
