3/8/2019

NORTH KOREA/SANCTIONS/SUMMIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “North Korea acknowledged for the first time on Friday [3-8-19] that the summit meeting last week between its leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Trump ended without an agreement, claiming that people ‘in and outside’ the North were blaming the United States for the breakdown. Until now, North Korea’s state news media had not reported the collapse of the summit meeting, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 27 and 28. The failed summit was considered a big embarrassment for Mr. Kim because he had to return home empty-handed after Mr. Trump rejected his demand for relief from United Nations sanctions…The North’s recent move to rebuild centers that it has used to launch satellites into orbit and test missile technologies has raised fears among some analysts that the country might resume missile tests. But since the Hanoi meeting, North Korea has shied away from using harsh language against the United States or Mr. Trump. By only indirectly blaming Washington for the failure and voicing hopes for better ties, Friday’s commentary appeared to signal a willingness to keep diplomacy alive with the United States.”

Choe Sang-Hun, “North Korea Admits Failure of Trump Summit, a Week After It Broke Down,” The New York Times online, March 8, 2019