Kim to leave Hanoi earlier than scheduled: sources

HANOI, Vietnam -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will depart from Hanoi earlier than scheduled, sources said Friday, following his summit with US President Donald Trump that ended with no deal.

Kim began a two-day official visit to Hanoi on Friday. He is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party. He will also meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. He is expected to attend a state banquet at a convention center in Hanoi afterward. 

On Saturday, Kim will lay a wreath at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the body of Ho Chi Minh, the founding president of Vietnam, lays embalmed, and visit the Monument to War Heroes and Martyrs before departing for Pyongyang at around 10 a.m.

The North Korean leader had initially been expected to leave Hanoi in the afternoon after meeting the Vietnamese prime minister and the national assembly chairwoman on the second day.

Pundits say Kim’s official visit is likely to have been shortened due to the outcome of the summit with US President Trump. The two leaders failed to strike an accord over denuclearization and economic sanctions imposed on North Korea during their summit on Wednesday and Thursday.

On his way back, Kim may meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to inform him about his summit with Trump, according to local media reports. North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Ri Gil-song reportedly took a flight to Beijing on Thursday.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)