President Donald Trump welcomes South Korea's President Moon Jae-In at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 22, 2018. Carlos Barria, Reuters
CNBC: South Korean president says Trump cancelling Kim Jong Un summit is 'very regretful and disconcerting'
* President Donald Trump canceled a planned summit next month with North Korea's leader.
* South Korean President Moon Jae-In played a prominent role in planning for the summit with Kim Jong Un, which was scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.
* A South Korean presidential office spokesman said they "are trying to figure out what President Trump's intention is and the exact meaning of it."
The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-In said Thursday it is "very regretful and disconcerting" that President Donald Trump decided to cancel his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The lament from Moon's office followed an emergency midnight briefing with his national security council, which was scrambled together after Trump said he abandoned the summit over Kim's recent statements toward the U.S.
"It is very regretful and disconcerting that the US-NK summit will not happen as planned," Moon's office said. "Denuclearization and the lasting peace on the Korean peninsula cannot be abandoned or delayed as they are the historical assignment."
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I do not think the South Koreans were notified of this decision to cancel the summit .... Pompeo won't say whether South Korea was notified ahead of summit decision (Los Angeles Times). And I also think it is because of this (my commentary from Tuesday) ....
.... I do not expect this meeting between President Trump and President Moon is going to go well. From my vantage point and from what I am hearing from my South Korean friends, it increasingly looks like the Moon administration overstated North Korea’s willingness to deal .... and when the North Koreans learned about this, they decided to cut ties with the Moon administration. As for the Trump administration .... they should have done their diligence. They trusted the Moon administration when they should have been suspicious and skeptical on what he was promising. To put it bluntly .... President Trump screwed-up .... and doubly so from his foreign and national security team. His instincts should have told him that South Korean President Moon was trying to tie him down to a diplomatic approach .... when there was really no movement from North Korea that they would give up their nuclear weapons.
Bottom line .... if I was President Trump .... I would feel that I was misled by South Korean President Moon Jae-In. That all of the past few months was more of a South Korean desperate attempt to tone down the rhetoric and threats that were flying between North Korea and the U.S. last year .... and they did it by convincing (and tying down) President Trump to a certain diplomatic path that did not really have a North Korean partner. The problem is that the North Koreans ..... when they found out (probably from China who told him what the Americans were telling them) .... did not only immediately break ties with the South Koreans (which happened when Kim Jong-un returned from his last visit to China a few weeks ago).... but also walked away from the preliminary negotiations that were being arranged to set-up the Singapore summit.
As to South Korean President Moon Jae-In's reaction to this cancellation .... all that I can say is "what was he thinking"? Yesterday North Korea’s vice foreign minister threatened the U.S. with the prospect of an “appalling tragedy” and a “nuclear-to-nuclear showdown.” That is not a government that is interested in pursuing peace talks .... and quite frankly .... one can now say they never were. All that I want to know now is .... what did South Korean President Moon Jae-In promised North Korean Kim Jong-un, what did he give, and more to the point .... did he also oversell what the Trump administration was willing to give to North Korea just as he oversold to the Trump administration what the North Koreans were willing to give.
On a side note .... I also think the North Koreans were surprised by this announcement. They expected concessions and a desperate attempt among diplomats to save the summit .... and now nothing.
More News On South Korean President Moon's Reaction To President Trump's Decision To Cancel The Singapore Summit
South Korea can't figure out Trump's 'intention' in canceling Kim Jong Un summit -- CNBC/AP
South Korea's Moon: Trump cancellation of North Korea summit 'regrettable' -- Reuters
South Korea's Moon calls emergency meeting after Trump cancels Kim summit -- Washington Times
South Korea's Moon meets with top aides after Trump-Kim summit cancelled -- Reuters
South Korea's president calls midnight emergency meeting after Trump cancels North Korea summit -- Business Insider
5 comments:
Ahhh, just normal political posturing. I suspect China is behind all this and is the true enemy. I wish is wasn't but can't ignore all the evidence.
I don't understand how a major misunderstanding is possible. Pompeo went to North Korea twice in advance of a summit. Surely he laid out the major expectation the USA had going into a summit.
Summits are almost always held to sign agreed upon concessions and obligations.
Moon exaggerated and intentionally Kims dialogue and intentions prior to the summit.
Moons governments Pinocchio has just had it's nose snapped off.
China has to be behind all of this - they want to control NK.
Also, Kim probably is scared of what may happen to him, his family and his cronies should any form of reunification happen.
Ultimately, Kim is looking for a safe harbour with all the wealth and trappings that come with it. Should the regime change he knows that he'll be strung up the heels and beaten to death.
This isn't about his country - it's all about him.
China knows this, and he's being played.
Crusader,
You might be on to something with the " China knows this, and he's being played." angle. It's possible China is using Kim as a pawn in their trade negotiations with the US.
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