US President Donald Trump called off his planned June summit with Kim Jong-un, blaming "open hostility" from the North Korean regime and warning Pyongyang against committing any "foolish or reckless acts."
In a letter to Kim, Trump announced he would not go ahead with the high-stakes meeting set for June 12 in Singapore, following what the White House called a "trail of broken promises" by the North.
Trump said it is now up to the North Korean leader to seize the opportunity. Source: EPA
Just before Trump announced the cancellation of the talks, North Korea declared it had "completely" dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed as a goodwill gesture ahead of the summit.
But the chances of success for the unprecedented face-to-face had recently been thrown into doubt.
Trump's announcement, in which he vowed to pursue Washington's campaign of "maximum pressure" through sanctions, came a day after Pyongyang hardened its rhetoric by
"Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting," read Trump's letter to Kim, which was dictated word for word by the US leader, according to a senior White House official.
US Vice President Mike Pence listens to US President Donald J. Trump speak about cancelling the summit. Source: EPA
"The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history," Trump said.
The Pentagon indicated it was braced to respond to possible "provocative actions" on Pyongyang's part.
But the Republican president also held out hope that a meeting with Kim could still take place, saying: "It's possible that the existing summit could take place, or a summit at some later date. Nobody should be anxious. We have to get it right."
"If and when Kim Jong Un chooses to engage in constructive dialogue and actions, I am waiting," he added.
Foreign leaders reacted with dismay to the summit collapse, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressing "deep regret" and summoning top security aides for emergency talks.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the parties to keep talking, as did host Singapore, while Russia's President Vladimir Putin held out hope that dialogue would resume and the talks would eventually take place.
'Rocking and ready'
Politically, Trump had invested heavily in the success of the planned summit. Privately, most US officials, as well as outside observers, believed it would go ahead despite the uptick in tensions.
But as the date drew nearer, the gulf in expectations between the two sides became apparent.
Washington has made it clear it wants to see the "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation" of the North.
But Pyongyang has vowed it will never give up its nuclear deterrent until it feels safe from what it terms US aggression.
Meanwhile, a senior White House official said Pyongyang had demonstrated a "profound lack of good faith" in the run-up to the summit -- including standing up the White House's deputy chief of staff, who had travelled to Singapore for preparatory talks.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply concerned". Source: EPA
"They waited and they waited. The North Koreans never showed up. The North Koreans did not tell us anything -- they simply stood us up," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The White House viewed North Korea's objection to a routine US-South Korean joint military exercise -- and its recent cancellation of a meeting with the South Koreans -- as a breach of its commitments leading up to the summit.
It also was unhappy about the North's failure to allow international observers to verify the dismantling of its Punggye-ri test site, the staging ground for all six of its nuclear tests which was buried inside a mountain near the border with China.
"That promise was broken," the White House official said.
While a small group of journalists invited to the site described a series of explosions throughout the day, the official stressed that "we will not have forensic evidence that much was accomplished."
"We certainly hope that it's the case but really don't know."
'Rocking and ready'
Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center think tank, warned of the knock-on effects canceling the meeting could have.
"South Korea is also likely to be angered, and the Alliance will take a hit. Expect Seoul to try to continue engagements with Pyongyang, even if it widens a rift with Washington," Denmark wrote on Twitter.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who twice travelled to Pyongyang to lay the groundwork for the summit -- said it was scrapped because a "successful outcome" did not seem possible.
He reiterated however that he had reached "a real understanding" with Kim, and that the American team had been "rocking and ready and prepared for this meeting."
But Democratic congressional leader Nancy Pelosi was scathing towards Trump's administration -- blaming a lack of preparation for the summit collapse and judging Kim to be the "big winner."
"It's clear he didn't know what he was getting into," she said of Trump. "And now he's walking away from it in this very chummy, palsy-walsy letter to Kim Jong Un."
Read Trump's letter to Kim:
Dear Mr Chairman:
We greatly appreciate your time, patience and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place. You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.
I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.
If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.
Sincerely yours,
Donald J. Trump
