周五。美国总统特朗普确认，经过一系列的曲折后，高度被期待的特金会将如期于6月12日在新加坡举行。
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that the highly anticipated summit with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore is back on, after a series of twists and turns that left the world on pins and needles.
'A great start'
The US president's announcement followed unprecedented talks with top DPRK envoy Kim Yong Chol, which lasted for about 90 minutes in the White House.
Kim Yong Chol is known for its close ties to Kim Jong Un. He arrived in the US earlier in the week and met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York before flying to Washington DC.
US President Donald Trump (C-R), poses for photographs with DPRK senior official Kim Yong Chol (C-L) at the White House in Washington DC, June 1, 2018. /VCG Photo
"Good meeting today. I think it’s a great start," Trump said, adding that he believes the DPRK "wants to do the denuclearization."
Reuters reported the US president exchanged smiles and handshakes, and patted Kim Yong Chol's arm in a friendly gesture.
Kim Yong Chol, a 72-year-old former intelligence chief, is the first known DPRK official to visit the White House in 18 years. Trump has called him “the second most powerful man in North Korea (DPRK)."
Read more:
Top DPRK envoy dines with US Secretary of State Pompeo ahead of official talks
Kim Yong Chol also delivered a letter from the DPRK top leader to Trump.
Kim writes to Trump
The US president told reporters in the White House that the letter was "very interesting," but later acknowledged he hadn’t read it yet.
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press after meeting with Kim Yong Chol, senior DPRK official, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, June 1, 2018. /VCG Photo
Although details on the message have yet to be uncovered, many US officials believe the letter is "generally positive and a step in the right direction" to the Trump-Kim summit, according to CNN. They also did not think any specific commitments would be made in the letter.
The White House confirmed Trump had read the letter at 11 a.m. BJT (4 p.m. ET), without giving further details.
Singapore summit: 23 days of on and offs
Trump first broke the news of his decision to meet Kim Jong Un 23 days ago, however he managed to keep diplomats and governments around the globe on the edge of their seat.
Last week, he called the meeting off, before making a U-turn and revealing he's reconsidering it, until he confirmed it was pushing through as originally planned on Friday.
Here's a timeline of events regarding the Trump-Kim summit:
DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un (L) and US President Donald Trump (R) /CGTN Photo
- May 10: Trump announces on Twitter that he will meet Kim in Singapore on June 12.
- May 16: DPRK threatens to cancel Trump-Kim summit over US National Security John Bolton's comments on "Libyan model."
- May 24: Trump cancels his summit with Kim, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility."
- May 24: DPRK is "surprised" at the cancellation, still expresses hope for Trump-Kim summit.
- May 27: Kim expresses "fixed will" on Trump-Kim summit.
- May 27: Trump states he's still "looking at June 12 in Singapore," adding the summit is "moving along very nicely."
- June 2: Trump confirms meeting with Kim.
