North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered preparations for a second summit with President Trump to discuss the prospect of denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, state media said Thursday.
The first summit, which took place in June, was praised by both leaders as a major step forward, but largely seen by critics as symbolic. Many experts say the summit produced little in the way of actionable plans, with each side unlikely to make concessions significant enough to further progress toward true denuclearization. Since then, high-ranking officials from both countries have engaged in talks aimed at nailing down specifics ahead of a second summit.
North Korea’s Kim Yong Chol, the country’s lead nuclear negotiator, met with the U.S. president for 90 minutes last week. After the meeting, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced that a second summit would take place at the end of February. On Thursday, the North Korean leader said he had received a letter from Trump, and was impressed by Trump’s “unusual determination and will” to come to an agreement. Kim promised North Korea would work together with the U.S. to achieve that.
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