The United States said Friday that North Korea must take "concrete actions" to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearize in order to realize a summit with US President Donald Trump.
The remark by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders came a day after Trump accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's invitation to a summit on the regime's denuclearization.
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A woman walks by a huge screen showing US President Donald Trump (left)and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, in Tokyo, Friday. (AP-Yonhap) |
Sanders was asked why Trump did not attach preconditions, such as the release of three Americans detained in the North.
"That's something that we're going to continue advocating for and pushing for," she said during a regular press briefing. "But let's not forget that the North Koreans did promise something:
They've promised to denuclearize, they've promised to stop nuclear and missile testing, and they've recognized that we're going to continue in our military exercises."
Sanders claimed those pledges were made with "zero concessions"
from the US.
"And, again, this meeting won't take place without concrete actions that match the promises that have been made by North Korea," she said.
A South Korean envoy gave US President Donald Trump a "special message" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in addition to his invitation to a summit, a senior official said Friday.
The South Korean government official declined to disclose the contents of the message, saying it was meant to be an exchange between two leaders, but indicated there was more to Kim's oral message than what was conveyed by the envoy, Chung Eui-yong.
"Kim asked (Chung) to deliver a special message to President Trump," the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
"It was part of (Kim's) effort to build trust toward a summit (with Trump)."
Trump accepted the summit Thursday after he was briefed by Chung, South Korea's national security adviser, on the latter's meeting with Kim earlier this week.
Kim said he was committed to denuclearization and promised to refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests, according to Chung.
Asked if the special message was related to the denuclearization pledge, the official said, "It was very comprehensive."
Trump showed a "very positive" response, he added.
(From news reports)
