Before traveling to Annapolis Friday morning to speak at the commencement ceremony for the U.S. Naval Academy, President Trump said the summit with North Korea could still happen June 12.
“We’ll see what happens. We’re talking to them now. It was a very nice statement they put out. We’ll see what happens," Trump said. “We’ll see what happens. It could even be the 12th. We’re talking to them now. They very much want to do it. We’d like to do it. We’re going to see what happens.”
“Everybody plays games. You know that better than anybody,” he continued when asked about whether North Korea is playing games.
The statement comes just 24 hours after President Trump cancelled the summit, after a threat of nuclear war from the regime and radio silence on handling logistical issues, in a direct letter to dictator Kim Jong Un. In response, North Korea issued a statement saying they are still interested in coming to the table.
"As far as the historic DPRK-US summit is concerned, we have inwardly highly appreciated President Trump for having made the bold decision, which any other US presidents dared not, and made efforts for such a crucial event as the summit," the regime issued to North Korean state run media Friday morning. "His sudden and unilateral announcement to cancel the summit is something unexpected to us and we can not but feel great regret for it."
"We remain unchanged in our goal and will to do everything we could for peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and humankind, and we, broad-minded and open all the time, have the willingness to offer the US side time and opportunity," the statement continues. "The first meeting would not solve all, but solving even one at a time in a phased way would make the relations get better rather than making them get worse. The US should ponder over it. We would like to make known to the US side once again that we have the intent to sit with the US side to solve problem regardless of ways at any time."
Very good news to receive the warm and productive statement from North Korea. We will soon see where it will lead, hopefully to long and enduring prosperity and peace. Only time (and talent) will tell!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2018