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US President Donald Trump and Kim Yong Chol, one of leader Kim Jong-un's closest aides, at the White House today. Andrew Harnik/AP/Press Association Images

Trump says meeting with North Korea is back on after Kim's 'very nice' letter

The announcement came after unprecedented Oval Office talks with a top envoy from Pyongyang.

Updated 10.40pm

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has confirmed that his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will go ahead as originally planned on 12 June in Singapore.

The announcement came after unprecedented Oval Office talks with a top envoy from Pyongyang.

While admitting that dealing with North Korea was “going to be a process”, Trump said he believed that process would ultimately be “successful”.

Trump said a letter from Kim, hand-delivered by Kim Yong Chol, was “very nice” and “very interesting”, without immediately disclosing its contents.

Speaking after more than an hour of talks, Trump told reporters that denuclearisation — and a formal end to the decades-old Korean War — would be on the table in Singapore.

But the US leader warned that he did not expect to immediately sign a deal to bring a halt to the North’s nuclear programme.

“I never said it goes in one meeting. I think it’s going to be a process, but the relationships are building and that’s very positive,” he said.

Ending the war 

Trump said they had discussed formally ending the Korean War, which has been largely frozen since an armistice ended hostilities, but not the underlying conflict, in 1953. Since then, there have been occasional clashes on the divided peninsula.

“We talked about it. We talked about ending the war,” Trump said.

Historically it’s very important, but we’ll see. We did discuss that, the ending of the Korean War. Can you believe we’re talking about the ending of the Korean War?

Washington is determined that Kim should agree to what US officials call the “complete, verifiable and irreversible” end of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and intercontinental missile programs.

Kim says he is committed to “denuclearisation” in some form, but he is expected to demand security guarantees — one of which could be a formal end to the conflict with the US and South Korea.

Most expert observers are sceptical that even an unprecedented summit between the two leaders can lead to a rapid breakthrough, and Trump admitted it would be a long and difficult process.

“We’re not going to go in and sign something on June 12. We never were. I told him today, ‘Take your time’,” Trump said, adding nevertheless that he expects “a really positive result in the end”.

Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the ruling party executive and the most senior North Korean to visit the United States in 18 years, spent almost 90 minutes in the Oval Office.

© AFP 2018 

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    Mute colm mc sweeney
    Favourite colm mc sweeney
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:32 PM

    There ye go. Mr President has his own way of playing this lunatic that NOBODY else could play. Kudos to the Don. Hopefully things will work out for all our benefits

    252
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:54 PM

    @colm mc sweeney: Yes, erratic buffoonery will ensure a peaceful future.

    88
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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:02 PM

    @colm mc sweeney: you got it in a nutshell…he played the North Koreans….in the big scheme of things the US had nothing to lose / Kim practically had to come with a begging bowl to get a “meet”.

    75
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:04 PM

    @colm mc sweeney: Anything can still happen with these two brats!!

    21
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    Mute Native
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:12 PM

    @colm mc sweeney:

    Makes you wonder what Obama was doing for 8 years regarding NK, oh yeah, nothing.

    70
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    Mute Alan Carmody
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:17 PM

    @Native: your name would be perfect without the t.

    41
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    Mute Philip Murphy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:08 PM

    @Alan Carmody: Ok so tell us what progress Obama, or Clinton before him made. Trump is gonna win again in 2020. Lowest unemployment rate in 18 years as reported by the Financial Times. 240,000 jobs added in May alone

    39
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:16 PM

    @colm mc sweeney: Trump has NO plan. He was saying the letter from Kim was interesting and that it changed things – then later admitted he had not even read the letter yet.
    Mind blowing idiocy

    37
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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:19 PM

    @Dave Harris:
    You thInk it’s not known in advance what the letter contains?
    What are you expecting? A love letter?
    Mere diplomatic formalities.
    Jeez, I dunno…..some people.

    19
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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:35 PM

    @Philip Murphy: US unemployment at 3.7% as of April/18…..last time it was under 4% was April 2000….absolutely amazing turnaround….I note the odds on him being a TWO term President have shortened quarter by quarter in last year…..I think I’ll pint a few € on him winning again

    29
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    Mute Tim keogh
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:54 PM

    @colm mc sweeney: Trump was a good looking successful business man in my estimation before he ran for presidency. Then the ravenous dogs came out. Clinton was always a C U Next Tuesday as far as I’m concerned.No matter what her looks.

    18
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:22 PM
    6
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:34 PM

    @Jack McGready: Why did Trump admit to reporters that he had not read the letter yet? Were you there in the white house with knowledge of what the letter contained? How do you know they knew what the letter contained?
    I dunno – some people indeed

    8
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 1:30 AM

    @Frank Dubogovik: it’s the world economy that’s moving up. Not just the US. Don’t be silly now. And he’s a failed businessman. Google his failed companies. Trump University lol lol and more lol.

    7
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 7:55 AM

    @colm mc sweeney: all I can think of every time I see Donald Dump is his awful fake hair.

    1
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 7:56 AM

    @Philip Murphy: and a trade war with the rest of the world, you forgot to mention that……”..

    3
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    Mute Mark Jones
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 8:22 AM

    @Frank Dubogovik: it’s only perfect timing for the buffoon that the economy started to grow and unemployment shrank as it’s the same worldwide. It doesn’t matter who’s in power as long as they don’t start a trade war and guess who is after starting that and aa regard Kim is only playing him like a fiddle

    6
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    Mute James Doyle
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:31 PM

    Kim better watch out for trickery, Gaddafi of Libya was fooled into giving up his nuclear deterrent by the US, UK, and France, and they had him brutally murdered, caused regime change and mayhem which is still going on years later.

    109
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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:47 PM

    @James Doyle:
    Poor Kim.
    That would be awful wouldn’t it.

    40
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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:47 PM

    6 on the toxicity level?
    I don’t know.

    11
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    Mute Pearse Mc Mullen
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:34 PM

    There are reports circulating that not only did Trump say “it was a nice letter”…….and a few minutes later in the interview he also said that he hadn`t opened it, he`s having the wee wee extracted something fierce on Twitter over it.

    38
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    Mute Pearse Mc Mullen
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:37 PM
    11
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    Mute John McQuaid
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:49 PM

    @Pearse Mc Mullen: Trump is a very disturbed individual, a magnet for people with low IQ’s. Sadly we live in a world where a lot of people are addicted to populism through lack of education.

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    Mute ihcalaM
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:56 PM

    @Pearse Mc Mullen: What an absolute clown.

    11
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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:01 PM

    Jokes on North Korea, Trump can’t read!

    23
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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 6:21 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: Jokers on media that would have twisted the content and endangered the peace process. Real world has to be protected from the dysfunction media.

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    Mute Gavin O'Brien
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:49 PM

    We’re on the one road
    North men, South men Koreans all, Pyongyang, Seoul, Trump is Feck all,

    19
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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:52 PM

    @Gavin O’Brien:
    Like it.
    Have a reccy.

    7
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    Mute Derek Teeling
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 9:08 AM

    @Gavin O’Brien: Brilliant

    1
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    Mute Cheryl Mellett
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:43 PM

    It’s like a bad relationship…. It’s on its off…. It’s on its off.

    18
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    Mute offtheball
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:44 PM

    You literally could not make this s—t up!!

    14
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:17 PM

    I suppose he’s waiting for someone to read the letter to him?

    12
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    Mute Dainéil Ó hÍobhair
    Favourite Dainéil Ó hÍobhair
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:33 PM

    Yeah Gaddafi was fooled by the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who pretty much destabilised Libya. Her supporters were quick to forgot this thorny fact even she was running though…

    16
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    Mute James Darby
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:44 PM

    I thought Donald and Kim already met a few days back.

    9
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    Mute jenni
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:19 PM

    So one mad lunatic has arranged to meet the other mad lunatic. EGO central is all it is. If the Nobel committee even look at this they will diminish in status in 10 seconds. It’s a sad world if anyone thinks trump wants world peace.. just today he announced tarrifs against his allies . One might wonder how much steel and iron NK have, or China. We are not fools.

    19
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    Mute jenni
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:22 PM

    @jenni: oh and Ms daughter of mr President has total patent rights to her “jewellery ” collections..just approved last week. If ever there was a case for snakes in the grass…the trumps are a prime example.

    14
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    Mute An Observer2
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    Jun 1st 2018, 9:42 PM

    Kim is playing some sort of long game here. There is no way that he goes from obsessed with taking out the US with ballistic missiles to really,really,really wanting to meet the nice US President Trump and putting away all the bad nuclear missiles in a matter of months. Come on….

    11
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    Mute angryDuck
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:26 PM

    @An Observer2: bingo, these boys reckon there is fun to be had with the buffoon.

    4
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    Mute Random_paddy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:30 PM

    Kim must have some dirt on Trump

    16
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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:49 PM

    @Random_paddy:
    Yeah, Donald’s spent a lot of time in North Korea.

    13
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    Mute John McQuaid
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:50 PM

    @Jack McGready: And Stormy Daniels.

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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:52 PM

    @John McQuaid:
    Boom Tish……drum roll.

    9
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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:14 PM

    Send Kim Kardashian to meet Korean Kim, problem solved!

    Trump can go back to his round of golf like all good 70yr olds…

    6
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    Mute Andy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 8:32 PM

    There’s nothing like being consistent ……..!!!???

    4
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    Mute Stevie Doran
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 2:32 AM

    What’s the bets he calls it off again next week

    3
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    Mute Brian Waldron
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:40 PM

    What a complete d*ick

    6
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    Mute Padraic Reid
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 12:47 PM

    The usual clowns posting anti-Trump tripe.

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    Mute Rui Firmino
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    Jun 2nd 2018, 9:23 AM

    Just fcuk and get it over with

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