In the run-up to the Hanoi summit,... President Trump had repeatedly said he was in no rush to sign a deal with North Korea... so long as the regime maintains its policy of not testing nuclear bombs or ICBMs.
He demonstrated just that... at an earlier than scheduled and unusually abrupt press conference following his summit with Kim Jong-un.
Park Hee-jun reports from Hanoi.
President Trump did the one thing that no one could have expected -- he walked away from a high-stakes meeting with North Korea.
"They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn’t give up all of the sanctions for that. We had to walk away from that.”
Speaking at a press conference following the abrupt end of his summit with Kim,... the U.S. President was bombarded with questions from the press.
He was asked about the reasons as to why he was unable to reach an agreement with Kim,... whether a deal was still possible in the future... and if they would ever meet again.
According to Trump, the North Korean leader demanded the U.S. to lift all sanctions on the regime,... in return for the shutdown of its Yeongbyeon nuclear complex.
But Washington wanted the regime to take more far-reaching steps,... and with the two sides unwilling to budge,... the deal was called off.
Although Trump noted that the meeting was productive and that he would maintain a close relationship with Chairman Kim,... other details were left in the dark,... such as when the two leaders would be meeting again.
"It might be soon, it might not be for a long time. I can’t tell you. I would hope it would be soon, but it may not be for a long time."
Trump also said the North Koreans seemed surprised... when the U.S. revealed its knowledge of other nuclear facilities... aside from the one in Yeongbyeon.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added to that,... saying the North had much more to declare -- and that the two sides could not agree on the matter of fully disclosing Pyeongyang's nuclear inventory.
"As feared,... the two leaders were unable to reach an agreement on North Korea's denuclearization and corresponding measures by the United States. Instead of an agreement,... Kim and Trump are now facing a long list of challenges and many unanswered questions,... as they walk away from the Hanoi summit.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News, Hanoi."
