Pyongyang leaves door open to US

Trump's decision is not "consistent with humanity's desire for peace and stability in the world". Seoul, "very perplexed" by the decision, promises to continue efforts to follow up on April agreement. Puzzlement and concern of the international community.


Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Pyongyang says it will leave the door open to dialogue with Washington. North Korean deputy minister of foreign affairs Kim Kye-gwan, twas speaking to the official Pyongyang news agency, Knca, in response to the US president's decision to cancel the meeting with Kim Jong-un, scheduled for June 12 Singapore.

"We would like to make known to the U.S. side once again that we have the intent to sit with the U.S. side to solve problem regardless of ways at any time," says Kim Kye-gwan, adding: Trump's decision is not "consistent with the desire of humankind for peace and stability in the world, to say nothing of those in the Korean peninsula".

Yesterday, the first reactions to Trump's letter came from Seoul. The Blue House is "very perplexed" by the decision of the United States, of which it was not aware. South Korean President Moon Jae-in called his security officials for an emergency meeting at 11:30 last night, and called on Trump and Kim to keep "a more direct and close dialogue".

Today, South Korean Unification Minister, Cho Myoung-gyin, said that the North appears "sincere" in its commitment to denuclearise, and that the Seoul government will continue to do its part to implement the agreement reached last month by the two Korean leaders.

Even Singapore, which was supposed to host the historic summit, expressed "displeasure" for the cancellation. In a tweet, the Foreign Ministry hopes that "efforts to find lasting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula will continue".

The UN Secretary, Antonio Guterres, said he was "deeply concerned by the cancellation of the planned meeting in Singapore between the president of the United States and the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea”.

Voices of dismay come also from Europe. The spokesperson for Premier Theresa May said the United Kingdom was "disappointed" by Trump's decision. For his part, the French president Emmanuel Macron on a visit to Moscow, said that he hopes that this move is "just a mistake in a process that should be continued". At his side, also Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped that the dialogue will be resumed, continued and that the summit will be held ".