Democratic People's Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un (left) takes a walk with US President Donald Trump in the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hà Nội yesterday. — Photo AFP

Seoul disappointed over summit, but remains hopeful for progress

South Korea’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae expressed disappointment yesterday over the outcome of the second US-North Korea summit, but insisted the two countries have made more progress than ever, even without an agreement, reported Yonhap.

"(We) do feel regret that President (Donald) Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un could not reach complete agreement at today’s summit. But it also appears that they have clearly made more meaningful progress than at any time in the past," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a released statement.

The reaction came shortly after Trump and Kim ended their two-day summit in Hà Nội without an agreement.

The Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said the Hà Nội meeting may have allowed the two leaders to better understand each other, raising the possibility of a breakthrough in the future.

"Also, the willingness expressed by President Trump to hold continued dialogue and his optimistic view offer a bright prospect for the next meeting," Kim said.

"The fact that President Trump publicly mentioned the possibility of removing or easing sanctions in connection with North Korea’s denuclearisation steps is an important occasion that shows the discussions between the North and the US have been elevated," it added.

The spokesman expressed hope for continued dialogue between the US and North Korea.

"Our government will do its utmost to make sure the US and North Korea will maintain the momentum for dialogue while continuing their communication and cooperation," he said.

After the summit concluded, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump had a telephone conversation on its outcome. — YONHAP

China hopes DPRK, US will continue to have dialogue

China hopes the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States will continue to maintain and conduct dialogue, a foreign ministry spokesperson said yesterday.

Commenting on the second DPRK-US summit in Hà Nội, Việt Nam, spokesperson Lu Kang told a daily news briefing that the situation on the Korean Peninsula has seen a major turnaround over the past year, and the Korean Peninsula issue has returned to the right track of political settlement.

Such a result is hard won and should be cherished.

He said the development and change of the Korean Peninsula situation over the past few decades indicate that dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve the issue.

China hopes the DPRK and the United States will continue to have dialogue, show sincerity to each other, respect and accommodate each other’s legitimate concerns, and jointly promote the denuclearisation and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula, Lu said.

He promised that China will continue to play a constructive role. — XINHUA

Japan, US continue efforts to settle N. Korea’s abductions: Abe

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday Japan and the United States will maintain close cooperation to settle issues related to North Korea, including its past abductions of Japanese nationals, following the second US-North Korean summit.

"Japan completely supports President Trump’s decision not to make concessions easily and to continue constructive discussion to urge North Korea to take concrete steps," Abe told reporters after his phone talks with the president, who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hà Nội.

Abe said Trump took up the abduction issue during his two-day meeting with Kim. — KYODO

Russia hails readiness of US, DPRK to continue dialogue

MOSCOW — Moscow yesterday welcomed the intention of both US President Donald Trump and top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un to continue bilateral dialogue on the Korean Peninsula’s situation.

"We positively evaluate the disposition of the US president and the top leader of the DPRK to continue the US-North Korea dialogue," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing.

Trump and Kim held talks in Việt Nam’s capital Hà Nội on Wednesday and Thursday, which concluded without a deal. Moscow believes that the dialogue must be supported by concrete measures, Zakharova said, adding that resolving the problems on the Korean Peninsula, including denuclearisation, takes time and needs maximum restraint by all the parties involved.

It is important to maintain the positive dynamics of the political and diplomatic processes based on Russian and Chinese proposals for a comprehensive settlement, she said.

In response to the result of the second Kim-Trump summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday, "From official statements, statements by President Trump himself and other high-ranking representatives of the White House, we understand that the negotiation process has not been interrupted, which is certainly positive." "But, at the same time, it was probably not possible to reach any tangible agreements for the time being," he told reporters.

"Now there is such an impression that the practice of small mutual steps towards each other and showing flexibility towards each other based on these steps is still not working. As far as we understand, the lack of this practice and unreasonably high demands certainly may lead to creating troublesome moments in the negotiating process," Peskov stressed.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled Moscow’s position: "Each step towards should show certain flexibility, concessions and small agreements. It is impossible to expect that such a challenging problem as [North Korea] can be solved at once." — XINHUA/TASS

US-DPRK Summit 2019: German FM regrets no deal made at DPRK-USA Hà Nội summit

BERLIN — German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he deeply regrets that no agreement was reached between US President Donald Trump and leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un.

In an interview with the German public-service television broadcaster ZDF, he said that if an agreement was reached between the sides for the DPRK to end its nuclear programme, the world would be much safer.

He hoped that the US and the DPRK would continue their negotiations on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Speaking at a press conference in Hà Nội after the second DPRK-US summit yesterday, the US president said both sides exchanged views on various issues and had a productive time, leaving the meeting in a friendly atmosphere. He admitted that it is not the right time for an agreement to be signed.

According to him, the main obstacle in negotiations was that the DPRK wanted a full removal of the sanctions, but the US was not keen to meet such a demand.

Trump hopes he and Kim will meet again in the future and said they still hold sound relations. — VNS