U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called off a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for next month, citing Pyongyang's "open hostility." He also warned that the U.S. military is ready in the event of any reckless acts by North Korea.
Trump wrote a letter to Kim to announce his abrupt withdrawal from what would have been the first-ever meeting between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader.
"We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore," Trump wrote.
"We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant.
"I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, 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."
Trump thanked Kim for releasing American hostages, saying this was "a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated."
He stressed that "ultimately, it is only the dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. … The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history."
Warning against any foolish response on North Korea's part, Trump wrote, "You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used."
It was a dramatic end to weeks of optimistic statements from Trump that by meeting with Kim he might succeed where previous U.S. presidents had failed and persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, which now threatens the United States.
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan responded to Trump's announcement by saying Pyongyang remains open to resolving the issues with Washington "at any time in any way."
"We had set in high regards President Trump's efforts, unprecedented by any other president, to create a historic North Korea-U.S. summit," he was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency.
Imprudent rhetoric
Trump's withdrawal came a day after North Korea issued a statement repeating a threat to pull out of the summit and warning that it was prepared for a nuclear showdown with the U.S. if necessary. It also condemned U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a "political dummy."
White House officials said that statement was "the last straw."
One senior official said there had been "a trail of broken promises" from North Korea "that has given the United States pause." That included the North Koreans not showing up to a planned meeting in Singapore last week.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met Kim twice in Pyongyang, said North Korea had not responded to contacts in recent days and Trump had made his decision after meetings on Wednesday in which he concluded the summit would not be successful.
"We got a lot of dial tones," Pompeo said, adding that it was disappointing but "frankly not a surprise."
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he remains open to dialogue but had spoken to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and had warned North Korea against any "reckless act."
He said U.S. allies South Korea and Japan also were ready to shoulder much of the financial burden "if an unfortunate situation is forced upon us" by North Korea.
Asked if the summit cancellation increases the risk of war, Trump replied: "We'll see what happens."
He said the United States would continue its "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions to press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
The outlook for the meeting soured dramatically this month when North Korea angrily rejected the notion that it would agree to unilateral nuclear disarmament as Washington has demanded.
Trump said he detected a change in Kim's attitude after the second of two visits the North Korean leader made to China recently and that Kim was possibly being influenced by Beijing, with which the United States is embroiled in a major trade dispute.
The cancellation came just hours after North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its only known nuclear test site, Punggye-ri, which it said was proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing.
The senior White House official said that among North Korea's broken promises was one to allow experts to witness the dismantling of the site, which meant no one was there to verify what actually occurred. Only a small group of international media handpicked by North Korea witnessed the demolition at the site.
North Korea's announcement of its plan to destroy the site had been widely welcomed as a positive, if largely symbolic, step. Kim has declared his nuclear force complete, amid speculation that the site was obsolete anyway.
The Pentagon says it is too early to give an assessment, but U.S. officials and experts say the site could be put back into service or re-established elsewhere.
North Korea responded on Friday with measured tones to Trump's decision, saying it hoped for a "Trump formula" to resolve the standoff over its nuclear weapons program.
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan was conciliatory, specifically praising Trump's efforts.
"We have inwardly highly appreciated President Trump for having made the bold decision, which any other U.S. presidents dared not, and made efforts for such a crucial event as the summit," he said in a statement carried by state media.
"We even inwardly hoped that what is called 'Trump formula' would help clear both sides of their worries and comply with the requirements of our side and would be a wise way of substantial effect for settling the issue," he said without elaborating.
North Korea has sharply criticised suggestions by Pence and by U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton that it could share the fate of Libya if it does not swiftly surrender its nuclear arsenal. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was deposed and murdered by NATO-backed militants after halting his nascent nuclear program.
Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea's recent criticisms against certain U.S. officials had just been a reaction to unbridled American rhetoric, and that the current antagonism shows "the urgent necessity" for the summit.
"His [Trump's] sudden and unilateral announcement to cancel the summit is something unexpected to us and we cannot but feel great regret for it," he said. He added that North Korea remains open to resolving issues with Washington "regardless of ways at any time."
"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 U.S. should ponder over it."
South Korea 'perplexed'
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who worked hard to help set up the summit and urged Trump at a White House meeting on Tuesday not to let a rare opportunity slip away, said he was "perplexed" by the cancellation. He urged Trump and Kim to talk directly.
"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.
While Trump left the door open for talks with Kim, chances for a quick rescheduling appear remote and the cancellation will renew fears of a return to conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
The summit cancellation denies Trump what supporters hoped could have been a major diplomatic achievement, worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
It comes at a time when Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has drawn criticism and his moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem has fueled violence. An investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election hangs over his presidency.
Robert Einhorn, a nonproliferation expert at the Brookings Institution, said it seemed Trump realized he would not get assurances from Kim of a willingness to give up its nuclear weapons.
"He was, I think, reluctant to go to Singapore and come up short," he said. "This probably was the best choice he could make – much better than having a meeting that would deepen the divisions, lead to angry recriminations and set back any prospect for getting back on track."
