US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold another day of talks at their second summit in eight months on Thursday, after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200070">swapping compliments at dinner </a>but giving no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearisation.

Trump hailed "a very special relationship" when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough.

"Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday.

The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides' discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature.

They have also discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, US and South Korean officials say.

US concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly.

The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since.

The US president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign.

Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors.

Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was "very successful". "Some people would like to see it go quicker; I’m satisfied; you’re satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing."

The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday.

"Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome," it said.

Trump says not walking back

Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation demands, Trump said, "No".

Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before a dinner that also involved US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

On Thursday, they two leaders have a series of meetings scheduled at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said.

After a "joint agreement signing ceremony" Trump plans a news conference at 3:50 pm Hanoi time (0850 GMT).

Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said on Wednesday: "We’ll see."

The June meeting was the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. It produced a joint statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the two sides committed to establish new ties and build a permanent peace regime.

But there has been little progress since.

Kim said on Wednesday the leaders had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue, adding that he was "confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes".

Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is a big question.

Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze.

US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing US-led sanctions.

Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries.

"Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold another day of talks at their second summit in eight months on Thursday, after swapping compliments at dinner but giving no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearisation.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold another day of talks at their second summit in eight months on Thursday, after swapping compliments at dinner but giving no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearisation. Trump hailed "a very special relationship" when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides' discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature. They have also discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, US and South Korean officials say. US concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The US president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was "very successful". "Some people would like to see it go quicker; I’m satisfied; you’re satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing." The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. "Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome," it said. Trump says not walking back Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation demands, Trump said, "No". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before a dinner that also involved US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, they two leaders have a series of meetings scheduled at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. After a "joint agreement signing ceremony" Trump plans a news conference at 3:50 pm Hanoi time (0850 GMT). Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said on Wednesday: "We’ll see." The June meeting was the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. It produced a joint statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the two sides committed to establish new ties and build a permanent peace regime. But there has been little progress since. Kim said on Wednesday the leaders had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue, adding that he was "confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes". Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is a big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing US-led sanctions. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting.

Hanoi summit: Trump and Kim expected to sign 'joint agreement' on day 2

&nbsp;Vietnam, which from Wednesday hosts a summit between the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-deal-with-kim-thwarted-by-north-korean-sanction-demands-200231">United States and North Korea</a>, is an ideal meeting point for the two sides due to its geographical location and its ties with both countries, but also for its economic model and experience in reunifying a divided country.

The second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese capital is scheduled to conclude on Thursday.

The first point in favour of Hanoi has been its location, which is not too far from North Korea, helping Kim circumvent logistical limitations on his movement.

Kim covered the 4,500 kilometres (2,796 miles) separating Pyongyang and the China-Vietnam border by train during a journey that took three days.

"Hanoi is convenient for Kim and he has been able to make the journey by train," Trung Nguyen, director of the Center for International Studies in Ho Chi Minh City, told EFE.

The analyst stressed that Hanoi's proximity to the Chinese border - from where Kim drove the last leg - has been one of the factors in selecting the capital over the coastal city of Da Nang, 750 kilometres to the south, which would have made road transport difficult.

"Vietnam had even wanted to host the Singapore summit. Earlier it did not have the confidence for these events, but now it shows that it is capable of doing so as it did with APEC in 2017 in Da Nang," he added.

Like Singapore, which hosted the first summit between the two leaders on Jun. 12 last year, Vietnam met the indispensable requisite of having diplomatic ties with both countries.

It also has the distinctive feature of not having had diplomatic relations with the US for two decades following the conclusion of the US-Vietnam war in 1975 before amending ties, which, according to the experts, could offer some leads as to the way forward for Pyongyang and Washington.

Since the resumption of ties in 1995, Vietnam and the US have been steadily increasing economic and trade exchanges, marked by state visits to Hanoi by all the US presidents from Bill Clinton to Trump, who first travelled to the Vietnamese capital in November 2017.

At the same time, Hanoi has also maintained a relationship with Pyongyang, with whom it shares historic ties due to the communist roots of both regimes, and despite enormous political and economic differences.

Since Kim came to power, the friendship between the two nations has taken on a new momentum, after years of complications posed by Vietnam’s closeness with South Korea, one of the biggest investors in the Indochinese country.

"In the past, North Korea and Vietnam had a friendly relationship. Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il-sung exchanged visits in the 1950s, but North Korea did not approve of closeness towards South Korea, which has many investments in the country, and this led to a freezing of ties," said Trung Nguyen.

One of the reasons for the increasing closeness between Pyongyang and Hanoi could be the former's supposed interest in the Vietnamese economic model, which in the 1980s began a transition from orthodox communism to the current market economy set-up supervised by the US and with the Communist Party maintaining its hegemony.

This interest has increased speculation of possible visits by Kim to industrial complexes near Hanoi during his stay in the country.

Aside from the economic transition, which has helped Vietnam become one of the most thriving economies in Southeast Asia, the country's experience in reunifying North and South Vietnam after the end of the war in 1975 could also prove valuable.

In 2016, then-South Korean ambassador to Vietnam, Jeon Dae-ju, said at a forum on peace in Hanoi that the Indochinese country was a historic model for its efforts to reunify its people.

"Kim seems to have interest in Vietnam as an economic model, but also, from my interactions with South Korean diplomats, sees Vietnam as a possible model for the reunification of the two Koreas," said Trung Nguyen.

The country was separated into North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1956 following the Geneva Agreements, and they reunified in 1975 after the war. North Korea and South Korea have been separated since the end of World War II in 1945.

Vietnam, which from Wednesday hosts a summit between the United States and North Korea, is an ideal meeting point for the two sides due to its geographical location and its ties with both countries, but also for its economic model and experience in reunifying a divided country.

Vietnam, which from Wednesday hosts a summit between the United States and North Korea, is an ideal meeting point for the two sides due to its geographical location and its ties with both countries, but also for its economic model and experience in reunifying a divided country. The second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese capital is scheduled to conclude on Thursday. The first point in favour of Hanoi has been its location, which is not too far from North Korea, helping Kim circumvent logistical limitations on his movement. Kim covered the 4,500 kilometres (2,796 miles) separating Pyongyang and the China-Vietnam border by train during a journey that took three days. "Hanoi is convenient for Kim and he has been able to make the journey by train," Trung Nguyen, director of the Center for International Studies in Ho Chi Minh City, told EFE. The analyst stressed that Hanoi's proximity to the Chinese border - from where Kim drove the last leg - has been one of the factors in selecting the capital over the coastal city of Da Nang, 750 kilometres to the south, which would have made road transport difficult. "Vietnam had even wanted to host the Singapore summit. Earlier it did not have the confidence for these events, but now it shows that it is capable of doing so as it did with APEC in 2017 in Da Nang," he added. Like Singapore, which hosted the first summit between the two leaders on Jun. 12 last year, Vietnam met the indispensable requisite of having diplomatic ties with both countries. It also has the distinctive feature of not having had diplomatic relations with the US for two decades following the conclusion of the US-Vietnam war in 1975 before amending ties, which, according to the experts, could offer some leads as to the way forward for Pyongyang and Washington. Since the resumption of ties in 1995, Vietnam and the US have been steadily increasing economic and trade exchanges, marked by state visits to Hanoi by all the US presidents from Bill Clinton to Trump, who first travelled to the Vietnamese capital in November 2017. At the same time, Hanoi has also maintained a relationship with Pyongyang, with whom it shares historic ties due to the communist roots of both regimes, and despite enormous political and economic differences. Since Kim came to power, the friendship between the two nations has taken on a new momentum, after years of complications posed by Vietnam’s closeness with South Korea, one of the biggest investors in the Indochinese country. "In the past, North Korea and Vietnam had a friendly relationship. Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il-sung exchanged visits in the 1950s, but North Korea did not approve of closeness towards South Korea, which has many investments in the country, and this led to a freezing of ties," said Trung Nguyen. One of the reasons for the increasing closeness between Pyongyang and Hanoi could be the former's supposed interest in the Vietnamese economic model, which in the 1980s began a transition from orthodox communism to the current market economy set-up supervised by the US and with the Communist Party maintaining its hegemony. This interest has increased speculation of possible visits by Kim to industrial complexes near Hanoi during his stay in the country. Aside from the economic transition, which has helped Vietnam become one of the most thriving economies in Southeast Asia, the country's experience in reunifying North and South Vietnam after the end of the war in 1975 could also prove valuable. In 2016, then-South Korean ambassador to Vietnam, Jeon Dae-ju, said at a forum on peace in Hanoi that the Indochinese country was a historic model for its efforts to reunify its people. "Kim seems to have interest in Vietnam as an economic model, but also, from my interactions with South Korean diplomats, sees Vietnam as a possible model for the reunification of the two Koreas," said Trung Nguyen. The country was separated into North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1956 following the Geneva Agreements, and they reunified in 1975 after the war. North Korea and South Korea have been separated since the end of World War II in 1945.

Vietnam much more than just a meeting point for Trump, Kim

Two negotiators who met barely one month ago have been tasked with handling preparations and setting the agenda for the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-deal-with-kim-thwarted-by-north-korean-sanction-demands-200231">second summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea</a>, which started on Wednesday.

These two officials, from North Korea and the United States respectively, have worked hard behind the scenes to make the second encounter between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Hanoi possible.

The first, Kim Hyok-chol, is the former North Korean ambassador to Spain and an expert in North Korea's nuclear program.

His appointment as the man in charge of the preparatory talks for the second summit between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came as a surprise when it was announced in late January, barely a month before the meeting.

Kim, 47, has been North Korea's only ambassador to Spain until now, having headed the North Korean embassy in Madrid since it opened in 2014 before being expelled by the Spanish government in 2017 in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

Married with two children, this career diplomat, who graduated in linguistics and holds a doctorate in foreign language, is known to be fond of Spain, a country which he had admitted he loves to visit.

After his expulsion in 2017, Kim had told EFE that he was stunned by that Spain had taken that step.

A big fan of the Spanish top flight La Liga, the diplomat had said his dream was to take Spanish players to North Korea to boost sport training programs, which he says could help bilateral ties.

While he has not been able to bring any soccer players home, he did help in organizing the first tour of North Korea by a flamenco group in Apr. 2016.

Thae Yong-ho, the number two in the North Korean embassy in London in 2016 and one of the highest-ranked North Korean defectors in the last two decades, said recently that Kim's appointment indicated a strategy by the regime to outmanoeuvre Washington ahead of the negotiations to set the summit's agenda.

Thae said Kim Hyok-chol was a great orator and warned that he had been deeply involved in the regime's nuclear deterrence policy during his career abroad, contrary to the tone favouring denuclearization that he has recently had to champion.

The second main architect of the summit is Stephen Biegun, who has switched roles from being an expert on Russia to becoming the go-to man for diplomacy with North Korea.

In Aug. 2018, Biegun, 55, was handed the delicate task of pressurizing Pyongyang to make good on its vague commitment to denuclearization, as agreed on during the first summit in Singapore.

During the last six months, he has had to contend with the contradicting signals from Pyongyang, who changed their negotiator in January, but also challenges from within the US, such as from National Security Advisor John Bolton, who doubts Biegun's diplomatic acumen and has backed a tougher stance in the talks with the North Koreans.

An expert on Russia, where he lived in the 1990s, Biegun began to influence US policy on North Korea in 2003 - at the beginning of the Six-Party Talks with Pyongyang - working under Condoleezza Rice, the NSA under former president George W Bush.

A graduate in Russian and political science, Biegun made a name for himself in Washington as an advisor to two Republican senators before taking an executive position at car manufacturer Ford in 2004, which he held until Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him to join his team.

In 2008 he had held the unenviable job of serving as the foreign policy advisor to the Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who was ridiculed for claiming in an interview that she could "see Russia" from her house in Alaska.

Two negotiators who met barely one month ago have been tasked with handling preparations and setting the agenda for the second summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea, which started on Wednesday.

Two negotiators who met barely one month ago have been tasked with handling preparations and setting the agenda for the second summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea, which started on Wednesday. These two officials, from North Korea and the United States respectively, have worked hard behind the scenes to make the second encounter between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Hanoi possible. The first, Kim Hyok-chol, is the former North Korean ambassador to Spain and an expert in North Korea's nuclear program. His appointment as the man in charge of the preparatory talks for the second summit between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came as a surprise when it was announced in late January, barely a month before the meeting. Kim, 47, has been North Korea's only ambassador to Spain until now, having headed the North Korean embassy in Madrid since it opened in 2014 before being expelled by the Spanish government in 2017 in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests. Married with two children, this career diplomat, who graduated in linguistics and holds a doctorate in foreign language, is known to be fond of Spain, a country which he had admitted he loves to visit. After his expulsion in 2017, Kim had told EFE that he was stunned by that Spain had taken that step. A big fan of the Spanish top flight La Liga, the diplomat had said his dream was to take Spanish players to North Korea to boost sport training programs, which he says could help bilateral ties. While he has not been able to bring any soccer players home, he did help in organizing the first tour of North Korea by a flamenco group in Apr. 2016. Thae Yong-ho, the number two in the North Korean embassy in London in 2016 and one of the highest-ranked North Korean defectors in the last two decades, said recently that Kim's appointment indicated a strategy by the regime to outmanoeuvre Washington ahead of the negotiations to set the summit's agenda. Thae said Kim Hyok-chol was a great orator and warned that he had been deeply involved in the regime's nuclear deterrence policy during his career abroad, contrary to the tone favouring denuclearization that he has recently had to champion. The second main architect of the summit is Stephen Biegun, who has switched roles from being an expert on Russia to becoming the go-to man for diplomacy with North Korea. In Aug. 2018, Biegun, 55, was handed the delicate task of pressurizing Pyongyang to make good on its vague commitment to denuclearization, as agreed on during the first summit in Singapore. During the last six months, he has had to contend with the contradicting signals from Pyongyang, who changed their negotiator in January, but also challenges from within the US, such as from National Security Advisor John Bolton, who doubts Biegun's diplomatic acumen and has backed a tougher stance in the talks with the North Koreans. An expert on Russia, where he lived in the 1990s, Biegun began to influence US policy on North Korea in 2003 - at the beginning of the Six-Party Talks with Pyongyang - working under Condoleezza Rice, the NSA under former president George W Bush. A graduate in Russian and political science, Biegun made a name for himself in Washington as an advisor to two Republican senators before taking an executive position at car manufacturer Ford in 2004, which he held until Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him to join his team. In 2008 he had held the unenviable job of serving as the foreign policy advisor to the Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who was ridiculed for claiming in an interview that she could "see Russia" from her house in Alaska.

The Hispanophile and Russian expert who prepared Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-agreement-was-reached-at-trump-kim-summit-white-house-200203">failed to reach an agreement</a> due to North Korean demands to lift punishing US-led sanctions.

Earlier, both Trump and Kim had expressed hope for progress on improving relations and on the key issue of denuclearisation, in their talks in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, their second summit in eight months.

"Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldn't do that ... we had to walk away from it," Trump told reporters after summit talks were cut short.

The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state undertook a series of nuclear and missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources hard cash.

Both leaders left the venue of their talks, the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel, without attending a planned lunch together, and returned to their hotels.

Failure to reach an agreement marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer, accusing him of breaking the law while in office.

Trump said Cohen "lied a lot" during Congressional testimony in Washington on Wednesday.

While Trump had said he was in "no rush" to strike a deal with North Korea and wanted to do the right deal with Kim, the White House had been confident enough to schedule a now cancelled "joint agreement signing ceremony" at the conclusion of talks.

"You always have to be prepared to walk," Trump said, describing the two days of talks as very productive. "We had papers ready to be signed, it just wasn't appropriate."

Kicking off their second day in Hanoi earlier on Thursday, Trump again stressed the talks aimed at tackling North Korea's nuclear threat should not be rushed. He said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

North Korea has conducted no nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests since late 2017.

Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no more nuclear or rocket tests.

Trump said he and Kim had discussed dismantling North Korea's main nuclear facility at Yongbyon, which Kim was willing to do, but he had wanted sanctions relief.

News of the summit failure sent South Korea's currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Korea's Kospi index closed 1.8 per cent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since Oct 2018.

Denuclearisation pledge

Earlier Kim and Trump, seated across from each other at a conference table, appeared confident of progress.

“If I’m not willing to do that, I won’t be here right now,” Kim told reporters through an interpreter when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons.

Trump, responding to that, said: "That might be the best answer you’ve ever heard.”

Kim did not elaborate on what "denuclearisation" would entail but asked if he was ready to take concrete steps, Kim said they had just been talking about that.

While the United States is demanding North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programmes, the North wants to see the removal of a US nuclear umbrella for its Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan.

The two leaders' first summit, in Singapore in June, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

But there has been little progress since.

Earlier Kim, asked by a reporter if he was confident about a deal, said, through an interpreter:

"It's too early to tell, but I wouldn't say I'm pessimistic. For what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out," he said, in what was believed to be his first ever response to a foreign journalist.

"There must be people who watch us having a wonderful time, like a scene from a fantasy movie. We have so far made lots of efforts, and it's time to show them," Kim said.

Trump reiterated North Korea's potential, if a deal can be done, saying the isolated country could be an "economic powerhouse".

Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but there have been doubts about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States.

While Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, critics warned that he risked squandering vital leverage over North Korea if he gave away too much, too quickly.

US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would eve give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival.

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</ul>

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had failed to reach an agreement due to North Korean demands to lift punishing US-led sanctions.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had failed to reach an agreement due to North Korean demands to lift punishing US-led sanctions. Earlier, both Trump and Kim had expressed hope for progress on improving relations and on the key issue of denuclearisation, in their talks in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, their second summit in eight months. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldn't do that ... we had to walk away from it," Trump told reporters after summit talks were cut short. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state undertook a series of nuclear and missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources hard cash. Both leaders left the venue of their talks, the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel, without attending a planned lunch together, and returned to their hotels. Failure to reach an agreement marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer, accusing him of breaking the law while in office. Trump said Cohen "lied a lot" during Congressional testimony in Washington on Wednesday. While Trump had said he was in "no rush" to strike a deal with North Korea and wanted to do the right deal with Kim, the White House had been confident enough to schedule a now cancelled "joint agreement signing ceremony" at the conclusion of talks. "You always have to be prepared to walk," Trump said, describing the two days of talks as very productive. "We had papers ready to be signed, it just wasn't appropriate." Kicking off their second day in Hanoi earlier on Thursday, Trump again stressed the talks aimed at tackling North Korea's nuclear threat should not be rushed. He said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea has conducted no nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests since late 2017. Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no more nuclear or rocket tests. Trump said he and Kim had discussed dismantling North Korea's main nuclear facility at Yongbyon, which Kim was willing to do, but he had wanted sanctions relief. News of the summit failure sent South Korea's currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Korea's Kospi index closed 1.8 per cent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since Oct 2018. Denuclearisation pledge Earlier Kim and Trump, seated across from each other at a conference table, appeared confident of progress. “If I’m not willing to do that, I won’t be here right now,” Kim told reporters through an interpreter when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. Trump, responding to that, said: "That might be the best answer you’ve ever heard.” Kim did not elaborate on what "denuclearisation" would entail but asked if he was ready to take concrete steps, Kim said they had just been talking about that. While the United States is demanding North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programmes, the North wants to see the removal of a US nuclear umbrella for its Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan. The two leaders' first summit, in Singapore in June, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But there has been little progress since. Earlier Kim, asked by a reporter if he was confident about a deal, said, through an interpreter: "It's too early to tell, but I wouldn't say I'm pessimistic. For what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out," he said, in what was believed to be his first ever response to a foreign journalist. "There must be people who watch us having a wonderful time, like a scene from a fantasy movie. We have so far made lots of efforts, and it's time to show them," Kim said. Trump reiterated North Korea's potential, if a deal can be done, saying the isolated country could be an "economic powerhouse". Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but there have been doubts about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States. While Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, critics warned that he risked squandering vital leverage over North Korea if he gave away too much, too quickly. US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would eve give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival.

Trump says deal with Kim thwarted by North Korean sanction demands

As US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un prepare for their second summit in Vietnam, analysts say the top-down approach to diplomacy may help ease the difficult negotiations which have made little progress since their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"Trump, while this is an unconventional approach especially for America in terms of doing diplomacy top-down summit-driven incrementally-paced is actually more effective when working with the North Koreans and working with a very top-down system. So there is some room for him to claim success on building a different starting to build a different relationship with North Korea and opening a door to a very real opportunity. It's not helpful for him to overstate where we are. Certainly North Korea's nuclear capabilities have not changed yet and their military capabilities have not changed yet. And until it does, certainly that threat is still there," said Stimson Center analyst and Managing Director of 38 North, Jenny Town.

The Trump administration has pressed North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, which threatens the United States, before it can expect any concessions. That means elimination of all weapons of mass destruction programmes in North Korea - the production of those weapons, as well as the intercontinental ballistic missiles that can deliver them.

North Korea has publicly called for an end to the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations, which will be its main aim at the summit. But its concept of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula could include removal of the US nuclear umbrella for South Korea and nuclear-capable forces.

Some officials in South Korea, the US Congress and elsewhere have expressed concern that North Korea is calling for changes to the level of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, but Trump said on Friday that drawing down US troops in South Korea is not on the table.

North Korea has also long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Town is hopeful that concrete steps will emerge from the second summit, specifically that Pyongyang will allow visits at Yongbyon nuclear facility after Kim expressed willingness in September to take steps, including the permanent dismantlement of nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, in return for "corresponding measures" by the United States.

As the United States will seek to form a shared understanding with North Korea of what denuclearisation means at the summit, Washington is also expected to seek to establish a roadmap that sets expectations and the process for negotiations on denuclearisation beyond this week's summit.

Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that Trump has much political capital at stake in the negotiations. While agreeing that the US president's strong personal interest in negotiating with the North Koreans was promising, he warned that the North Koreans are likely to offer a number of hollow steps.

"They are things that they've already talked about giving up and in fact have stopped operations right after the Singapore summit. And you know my guess is that they're going to allow the United States or some international body to go in and sort of monitor this, the decommissioning of the of these sites. And as we saw in Kim Jong Un's New Year's speech in January, he has put forward the idea of stopping further production in the future, as well as a pledge not to transfer any capabilities or knowledge. So if you think about those things, that is negotiating your past-- things that you don't need anymore-- and it's negotiating your future-- things you promise not to do in the future. So you're actually not really giving up anything. And in the meantime I'm pretty certain they're going to be clear demands for the United States to give up things very much in the present whether that's exercises, whether it's the deployment of troops, sanctions, a variety of different things," he said.

CSIS Korea Chair Sue Mi Terry said that as Pyongyang seeks the removal of economic sanctions, it will probably put three things at the table: Punggye-ri nuclear test site, Sohae satellite launch site and some, but perhaps not all, of Yongbyon. She said she expected them to go no further in a process she said resembled an arms agreement more than a denuclearization process, and to stall for the next several years as the sides negotiate the details of those three sites. Terry warned that Trump may be too willing to give up too much in exchange for a process that did not include full denuclearization.

"North Korea is not going to go beyond that. I think these three sites are going to be good enough from North Korea's perspective to just drag this out ... and that's going to be enough to last the entire Trump administration. And I think that is North Korea's game plan," she said.

While a freeze on North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and missile programs is also likely to be on the agenda, North Korea appears to have produced enough bomb fuel in the past year to add as many as seven nuclear weapons to its arsenal, a report by Stanford University's Centre for International Security and Cooperation said earlier this month.

Washington has balked at signing a comprehensive peace treaty before North Korea completely denuclearises, but US officials have signalled they may be willing to conclude a more limited agreement to reduce tensions, open liaison offices, and move toward normalising relations.

"On the US side, I think it's a little less clear but there has been some indications coming from the administration or through leaks to talk about some of the things that they've been considering such as an end of war declaration, opening up a liaison office, having liaison officers, potentially expanding some kind of cultural or educational exchanges, potentially some level of exemptions for specific inter-Korean economic projects as well," she said.

Kim said in January that North Korea is "ready to re-open Kaesong industrial park and tours to Mount Kumgang without any preconditions or price." The two inter-Korean projects require at least partial easing of sanctions to resume operations.

Still, experts warned that the top-down approach could backfire if at any time, Trump seems to suggest further U.S. concessions than what the negotiators have agreed upon.

"In many ways, I think that it's both what's in the document and is President Trump consistent with what's in that because if he's not, Kim Jong Un wIll see no reason to follow the letter of what is in a statement and wIll just go with where President Trump goes," she said.

As the two sides negotiate, the long shadows of Russia and China hang over the talks. Town warned that regional powers will be watching closely any possibility of shifting political alliances.

"Any kind of progress on that side will be sort of a double-edged sword for the Chinese and the Russians who obviously want negotiations to keep going but also do worry about where loyalties lie as those relationships start to change. I think the Japanese of everyone in this process are probably the most nervous about success or failure because they're less involved and they haven't been part of the inner circle of states negotiating," she said.

The high-stakes nuclear summit is set to take place in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi on February 27 and 28.

As US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un prepare for their second summit in Vietnam, analysts say the top-down approach to diplomacy may help ease the difficult negotiations which have made little progress since their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

As US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un prepare for their second summit in Vietnam, analysts say the top-down approach to diplomacy may help ease the difficult negotiations which have made little progress since their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "Trump, while this is an unconventional approach especially for America in terms of doing diplomacy top-down summit-driven incrementally-paced is actually more effective when working with the North Koreans and working with a very top-down system. So there is some room for him to claim success on building a different starting to build a different relationship with North Korea and opening a door to a very real opportunity. It's not helpful for him to overstate where we are. Certainly North Korea's nuclear capabilities have not changed yet and their military capabilities have not changed yet. And until it does, certainly that threat is still there," said Stimson Center analyst and Managing Director of 38 North, Jenny Town. The Trump administration has pressed North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, which threatens the United States, before it can expect any concessions. That means elimination of all weapons of mass destruction programmes in North Korea - the production of those weapons, as well as the intercontinental ballistic missiles that can deliver them. North Korea has publicly called for an end to the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations, which will be its main aim at the summit. But its concept of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula could include removal of the US nuclear umbrella for South Korea and nuclear-capable forces. Some officials in South Korea, the US Congress and elsewhere have expressed concern that North Korea is calling for changes to the level of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, but Trump said on Friday that drawing down US troops in South Korea is not on the table. North Korea has also long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Town is hopeful that concrete steps will emerge from the second summit, specifically that Pyongyang will allow visits at Yongbyon nuclear facility after Kim expressed willingness in September to take steps, including the permanent dismantlement of nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, in return for "corresponding measures" by the United States. As the United States will seek to form a shared understanding with North Korea of what denuclearisation means at the summit, Washington is also expected to seek to establish a roadmap that sets expectations and the process for negotiations on denuclearisation beyond this week's summit. Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that Trump has much political capital at stake in the negotiations. While agreeing that the US president's strong personal interest in negotiating with the North Koreans was promising, he warned that the North Koreans are likely to offer a number of hollow steps. "They are things that they've already talked about giving up and in fact have stopped operations right after the Singapore summit. And you know my guess is that they're going to allow the United States or some international body to go in and sort of monitor this, the decommissioning of the of these sites. And as we saw in Kim Jong Un's New Year's speech in January, he has put forward the idea of stopping further production in the future, as well as a pledge not to transfer any capabilities or knowledge. So if you think about those things, that is negotiating your past-- things that you don't need anymore-- and it's negotiating your future-- things you promise not to do in the future. So you're actually not really giving up anything. And in the meantime I'm pretty certain they're going to be clear demands for the United States to give up things very much in the present whether that's exercises, whether it's the deployment of troops, sanctions, a variety of different things," he said. CSIS Korea Chair Sue Mi Terry said that as Pyongyang seeks the removal of economic sanctions, it will probably put three things at the table: Punggye-ri nuclear test site, Sohae satellite launch site and some, but perhaps not all, of Yongbyon. She said she expected them to go no further in a process she said resembled an arms agreement more than a denuclearization process, and to stall for the next several years as the sides negotiate the details of those three sites. Terry warned that Trump may be too willing to give up too much in exchange for a process that did not include full denuclearization. "North Korea is not going to go beyond that. I think these three sites are going to be good enough from North Korea's perspective to just drag this out ... and that's going to be enough to last the entire Trump administration. And I think that is North Korea's game plan," she said. While a freeze on North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and missile programs is also likely to be on the agenda, North Korea appears to have produced enough bomb fuel in the past year to add as many as seven nuclear weapons to its arsenal, a report by Stanford University's Centre for International Security and Cooperation said earlier this month. Washington has balked at signing a comprehensive peace treaty before North Korea completely denuclearises, but US officials have signalled they may be willing to conclude a more limited agreement to reduce tensions, open liaison offices, and move toward normalising relations. "On the US side, I think it's a little less clear but there has been some indications coming from the administration or through leaks to talk about some of the things that they've been considering such as an end of war declaration, opening up a liaison office, having liaison officers, potentially expanding some kind of cultural or educational exchanges, potentially some level of exemptions for specific inter-Korean economic projects as well," she said. Kim said in January that North Korea is "ready to re-open Kaesong industrial park and tours to Mount Kumgang without any preconditions or price." The two inter-Korean projects require at least partial easing of sanctions to resume operations. Still, experts warned that the top-down approach could backfire if at any time, Trump seems to suggest further U.S. concessions than what the negotiators have agreed upon. "In many ways, I think that it's both what's in the document and is President Trump consistent with what's in that because if he's not, Kim Jong Un wIll see no reason to follow the letter of what is in a statement and wIll just go with where President Trump goes," she said. As the two sides negotiate, the long shadows of Russia and China hang over the talks. Town warned that regional powers will be watching closely any possibility of shifting political alliances. "Any kind of progress on that side will be sort of a double-edged sword for the Chinese and the Russians who obviously want negotiations to keep going but also do worry about where loyalties lie as those relationships start to change. I think the Japanese of everyone in this process are probably the most nervous about success or failure because they're less involved and they haven't been part of the inner circle of states negotiating," she said. The high-stakes nuclear summit is set to take place in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi on February 27 and 28.

What's at stake at the Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim

Hopes that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-happy-if-north-korea-doesnt-test-weapons-peace-deal-a-possibility-199577">Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un</a> will formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the Hanoi summit rose Monday after South Korea said the two leaders could reach an agreement.

The devastating conflict between communist North Korea, backed by China, and the capitalist South, aided by the United States, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving Pyongyang and Washington still technically at war.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-could-become-great-economic-power-without-nukes-trump-199406">North Korea could become 'great economic power' without nukes, says Trump</a>

"I believe that the possibility is there," the South's presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters about a formal declaration.

"There is no way of knowing what kind of declaration it might be, but I believe the US and North Korea may reach an agreement."

President Moon Jae-in said in October "it was only a matter of time" before Washington and Pyongyang declared an end to the war.

The US has also struck an upbeat tone. Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said earlier this month that Trump was "ready to end this war", fuelling speculation that the formal end of the conflict may be near.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-china-remains-key-player-as-us-north-korea-meet-199202">Why China remains key player as </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-china-remains-key-player-as-us-north-korea-meet-199202">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-china-remains-key-player-as-us-north-korea-meet-199202">, North Korea meet</a>

Kim, the leader of North Korea, is due to meet the US president in the Vietnamese capital on Wednesday and Thursday, where it is hoped the pair will make progress in talks on denuclearisation, and a possible peace treaty.

But Blue House spokesman Kim said even if the US and North Korean leaders declare the end of the Korean War, a formal peace treaty will likely be signed at the "last stage of the denuclearisation process" of the Korean peninsula -- and may take a long time to materialise.&nbsp;

"A peace treaty and a declaration of the end of the war are different," he said, adding that the treaty must be a "multilateral effort" involving South Korea and China.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161">I don't want my children to bear </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161">burden</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161"> of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un</a>

North Korea, the US-led United Nations Command and China were all signatories to the armistice.

The Hanoi summit comes after Trump and Kim met in June in Singapore, producing a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation, but progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what the agreement meant.

Observers say tangible progress is needed in Hanoi to avoid the talks being dismissed as a publicity stunt.

Meanwhile the respected US-based website 38 North reported on Monday there is no indication Pyongyang is operating its nuclear reactors at the Yongbyon complex.

The dismantling of the complex is expected to be among the key denuclearisation steps that the US and North Korean leaders will likely discuss in Hanoi.

"There is no steam venting from the generator hall, nor is there any hot water effluent at the cooling water outfall pipe," the website said.

Hopes that Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the Hanoi summit rose Monday after South Korea said the two leaders could reach an agreement.

Hopes that Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the Hanoi summit rose Monday after South Korea said the two leaders could reach an agreement. The devastating conflict between communist North Korea, backed by China, and the capitalist South, aided by the United States, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving Pyongyang and Washington still technically at war. Also read: North Korea could become 'great economic power' without nukes, says Trump "I believe that the possibility is there," the South's presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters about a formal declaration. "There is no way of knowing what kind of declaration it might be, but I believe the US and North Korea may reach an agreement." President Moon Jae-in said in October "it was only a matter of time" before Washington and Pyongyang declared an end to the war. The US has also struck an upbeat tone. Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said earlier this month that Trump was "ready to end this war", fuelling speculation that the formal end of the conflict may be near. Also read: Why China remains key player as US, North Korea meet Kim, the leader of North Korea, is due to meet the US president in the Vietnamese capital on Wednesday and Thursday, where it is hoped the pair will make progress in talks on denuclearisation, and a possible peace treaty. But Blue House spokesman Kim said even if the US and North Korean leaders declare the end of the Korean War, a formal peace treaty will likely be signed at the "last stage of the denuclearisation process" of the Korean peninsula -- and may take a long time to materialise. "A peace treaty and a declaration of the end of the war are different," he said, adding that the treaty must be a "multilateral effort" involving South Korea and China. Also read: I don't want my children to bear burden of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un North Korea, the US-led United Nations Command and China were all signatories to the armistice. The Hanoi summit comes after Trump and Kim met in June in Singapore, producing a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation, but progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what the agreement meant. Observers say tangible progress is needed in Hanoi to avoid the talks being dismissed as a publicity stunt. Meanwhile the respected US-based website 38 North reported on Monday there is no indication Pyongyang is operating its nuclear reactors at the Yongbyon complex. The dismantling of the complex is expected to be among the key denuclearisation steps that the US and North Korean leaders will likely discuss in Hanoi. "There is no steam venting from the generator hall, nor is there any hot water effluent at the cooling water outfall pipe," the website said.

Korean War could be declared over at Hanoi summit: South Korea

An impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday said Vietnamese authorities were deporting him from the country, just 24 hours before the real Kim was expected to arrive in Hanoi ahead of a summit with the president of the United States.

Donald Trump is due to attend a second summit with the North Korean dictator on Wednesday and Thursday.

In a Facebook post, the comedian, known as Howard X, said three officers had escorted him to the airport in the capital, where he boarded a Vietnam Airlines flight bound for Singapore.

The police had detained him on Friday to question the impersonator, who is a resident of Hong Kong, and told him that his visa was "invalid."

"My real crime was looking like the president of North Korea," the comedian said, who also published a photograph of him bidding farewell to an impersonator of Donald Trump, whom the local authorities have allowed remaining in the country for several more days but have barred him from any public performances.

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The pair kissed and hugged as they said their goodbyes in front of a throng of cameras and reporters at a hotel in Hanoi on Monday before Howard X was escorted to the airport.

The real Kim Jong-un is expected to arrive Monday or Tuesday in Hanoi for a state visit before the summit with the US president later this week.

In the first visit by a North Korean leader to Vietnam since the reunification of the Southeast Asian country in 1975, Kim will meet with the president and General Secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, at the presidential palace in Hanoi.

Kim and Trump are scheduled to hold their second summit in the Vietnamese capital after meeting for the first time in Singapore in Jun. 2018.

The two are expected to discuss the stalled denuclearization of the Pyongyang regime, which the pair agreed to work towards after their summit last year.

Howard X and Trump impersonator Russell White also made headlines in the run-up to that first meeting in Singapore.

The fake Kim had said that Singaporean authorities had briefly detained him at the airport upon his arrival, but he was allowed to remain for the duration of the summit.

An impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday said Vietnamese authorities were deporting him from the country, just 24 hours before the real Kim was expected to arrive in Hanoi ahead of a summit with the president of the United States.

An impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday said Vietnamese authorities were deporting him from the country, just 24 hours before the real Kim was expected to arrive in Hanoi ahead of a summit with the president of the United States. Donald Trump is due to attend a second summit with the North Korean dictator on Wednesday and Thursday. In a Facebook post, the comedian, known as Howard X, said three officers had escorted him to the airport in the capital, where he boarded a Vietnam Airlines flight bound for Singapore. The police had detained him on Friday to question the impersonator, who is a resident of Hong Kong, and told him that his visa was "invalid." "My real crime was looking like the president of North Korea," the comedian said, who also published a photograph of him bidding farewell to an impersonator of Donald Trump, whom the local authorities have allowed remaining in the country for several more days but have barred him from any public performances. × The pair kissed and hugged as they said their goodbyes in front of a throng of cameras and reporters at a hotel in Hanoi on Monday before Howard X was escorted to the airport. The real Kim Jong-un is expected to arrive Monday or Tuesday in Hanoi for a state visit before the summit with the US president later this week. In the first visit by a North Korean leader to Vietnam since the reunification of the Southeast Asian country in 1975, Kim will meet with the president and General Secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, at the presidential palace in Hanoi. Kim and Trump are scheduled to hold their second summit in the Vietnamese capital after meeting for the first time in Singapore in Jun. 2018. The two are expected to discuss the stalled denuclearization of the Pyongyang regime, which the pair agreed to work towards after their summit last year. Howard X and Trump impersonator Russell White also made headlines in the run-up to that first meeting in Singapore. The fake Kim had said that Singaporean authorities had briefly detained him at the airport upon his arrival, but he was allowed to remain for the duration of the summit.

Vietnam deports Kim Jong-un impersonator ahead of Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said North Korea could become one of the world's "great economic powers" if it relinquished its nuclear arsenal, ahead of his summit with Kim Jong Un.

In a series of tweets on the eve of his departure for this week's summit in Hanoi, Trump also praised China and Russia for enforcing sanctions on North Korea while insisting he had a "great relationship with Chairman Kim."

"Chairman Kim realizes, perhaps better than anyone else, that without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the world. Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation!" he wrote.

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Chairman Kim realizes, perhaps better than anyone else, that without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the World. Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1099660044004704260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump said he and Kim "both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearisation?"

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Very productive talks yesterday with China on Trade. Will continue today! I will be leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, early tomorrow for a Summit with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, where we both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearization?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1099654763531055104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Their groundbreaking summit in June produced only a vague statement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Kim is demanding the lifting of punishing sanctions while Washington insists that the measures must remain in place until North Korea gives up its nuclear arsenal.

In his tweets, Trump spoke highly of China's President Xi Jinping, saying he had been "very helpful" in his support for the summit.

"The last thing China wants are large scale nuclear weapons right next door. Sanctions placed on the border by China and Russia have been very helpful."

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President Xi of China has been very helpful in his support of my meeting with Kim Jong Un. The last thing China wants are large scale nuclear weapons right next door. Sanctions placed on the border by China and Russia have been very helpful. Great relationship with Chairman Kim!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1099656646840778752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said North Korea could become one of the world's "great economic powers" if it relinquished its nuclear arsenal, ahead of his summit with Kim Jong Un.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said North Korea could become one of the world's "great economic powers" if it relinquished its nuclear arsenal, ahead of his summit with Kim Jong Un. In a series of tweets on the eve of his departure for this week's summit in Hanoi, Trump also praised China and Russia for enforcing sanctions on North Korea while insisting he had a "great relationship with Chairman Kim." "Chairman Kim realizes, perhaps better than anyone else, that without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the world. Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation!" he wrote. Chairman Kim realizes, perhaps better than anyone else, that without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the World. Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019 × Trump said he and Kim "both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearisation?" Very productive talks yesterday with China on Trade. Will continue today! I will be leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, early tomorrow for a Summit with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, where we both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearization? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019 × Their groundbreaking summit in June produced only a vague statement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Kim is demanding the lifting of punishing sanctions while Washington insists that the measures must remain in place until North Korea gives up its nuclear arsenal. In his tweets, Trump spoke highly of China's President Xi Jinping, saying he had been "very helpful" in his support for the summit. "The last thing China wants are large scale nuclear weapons right next door. Sanctions placed on the border by China and Russia have been very helpful." President Xi of China has been very helpful in his support of my meeting with Kim Jong Un. The last thing China wants are large scale nuclear weapons right next door. Sanctions placed on the border by China and Russia have been very helpful. Great relationship with Chairman Kim! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019 ×

North Korea could become 'great economic power' without nukes: Trump

North Korea warned President Donald Trump on Sunday not to listen to US critics who were disrupting efforts to improve ties, as its leader, Kim Jong Un, made his way across China by train to a second summit with Trump in Vietnam.

The two leaders will meet in Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday, eight months after their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

But their vaguely worded agreement has produced few results and US Democratic senators and US security officials have warned Trump against cutting a deal that would do little to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The North's KCNA state news agency said such opposition was aimed at derailing the talks.

"If the present US administration reads others' faces, lending an ear to others, it may face the shattered dream of the improvement of the relations with the DPRK and world peace and miss the rare historic opportunity," the news agency said in a commentary, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The Trump administration has pressed the North to give up its nuclear weapons programme, which, combined with its missile capabilities, pose a threat to the United States, before it can expect any concessions.

But a week before his second summit with Kim, Trump signalled a possible softening of that stance, saying he would love to be able to remove sanctions if there was meaningful progress on denuclearisation.

Trump also said he was in no rush and had no pressing schedule for North Korea's denuclearisation, hinting at a more gradual, reciprocal approach, long favoured by Pyongyang.

The North also wants security guarantees and a formal end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a treaty.

In a letter to Trump last week, three Democratic chairmen of key House committees accused the administration of withholding information on the negotiations with North Korea.

"There are ample reasons to be sceptical that Chairman Kim is committed to a nuclear-free North Korea," the lawmakers wrote.

US intelligence officials recently testified to Congress that North Korea was unlikely to ever give up its entire nuclear arsenal.

KCNA, referring to US fears of the North's weapons, said if this week's talks ended without results, "the US people will never be cleared of the security threats that threw them into panic".

Red carpet send-off

Few details of Kim's trip to Vietnam had been announced until early on Sunday, when North Korean state media confirmed he had left Pyongyang by train, accompanied by senior officials as well as his influential sister, Kim Yo Jong.

In rare, revealing coverage of Kim's travel, the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper featured photographs of him getting a red-carpet send-off on Saturday afternoon and waving from a train door while holding a cigarette.

He was joined by top officials also involved in the Singapore summit, including Kim Yong Chol, former spy chief and Kim's top envoy in negotiations with the United States, as well as senior party aide Ri Su Yong, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and defence chief No Kwang Chol.

Other senior officials, such as his de facto chief of staff, Kim Chang Son, and Kim Hyok Chol, negotiations counterpart to US envoy Stephen Biegun, were already in Hanoi to prepare for the summit.

Both sides are under pressure to forge more specific agreements than were reached in Singapore.

The two leaders are likely to try to build on their personal connection to push things forward in Hanoi, even if only incrementally, analysts said.

"They will not make an agreement which breaks up the current flow of diplomacy. (President Trump) has mentioned that they'll meet again; even if there is a low-level agreement, they will seek to keep things moving," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Train spotting

Few details of summit arrangements have been released.

Some lamp posts on Hanoi's tree-lined streets are decked with North Korean, US&nbsp;and Vietnamese flags fluttering above a handshake design, and security has been stepped up at locations that could be the summit venue, or where the leaders might stay.

It could take Kim at least 2-1/2 days to travel to Vietnam by train.

Some carriages of a green train were spotted at Beijing's station on Sunday, but it was not confirmed it was Kim's.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Kim's train had passed through a station in China's port city of Tianjin, southeast of Beijing, at around 1 pm (0500 GMT).

China has given no details of his trip. Its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

North Korea warned President Donald Trump on Sunday not to listen to US critics who were disrupting efforts to improve ties, as its leader, Kim Jong Un, made his way across China by train to a second summit with Trump in Vietnam.

North Korea warned President Donald Trump on Sunday not to listen to US critics who were disrupting efforts to improve ties, as its leader, Kim Jong Un, made his way across China by train to a second summit with Trump in Vietnam. The two leaders will meet in Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday, eight months after their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But their vaguely worded agreement has produced few results and US Democratic senators and US security officials have warned Trump against cutting a deal that would do little to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. The North's KCNA state news agency said such opposition was aimed at derailing the talks. "If the present US administration reads others' faces, lending an ear to others, it may face the shattered dream of the improvement of the relations with the DPRK and world peace and miss the rare historic opportunity," the news agency said in a commentary, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Trump administration has pressed the North to give up its nuclear weapons programme, which, combined with its missile capabilities, pose a threat to the United States, before it can expect any concessions. But a week before his second summit with Kim, Trump signalled a possible softening of that stance, saying he would love to be able to remove sanctions if there was meaningful progress on denuclearisation. Trump also said he was in no rush and had no pressing schedule for North Korea's denuclearisation, hinting at a more gradual, reciprocal approach, long favoured by Pyongyang. The North also wants security guarantees and a formal end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a treaty. In a letter to Trump last week, three Democratic chairmen of key House committees accused the administration of withholding information on the negotiations with North Korea. "There are ample reasons to be sceptical that Chairman Kim is committed to a nuclear-free North Korea," the lawmakers wrote. US intelligence officials recently testified to Congress that North Korea was unlikely to ever give up its entire nuclear arsenal. KCNA, referring to US fears of the North's weapons, said if this week's talks ended without results, "the US people will never be cleared of the security threats that threw them into panic". Red carpet send-off Few details of Kim's trip to Vietnam had been announced until early on Sunday, when North Korean state media confirmed he had left Pyongyang by train, accompanied by senior officials as well as his influential sister, Kim Yo Jong. In rare, revealing coverage of Kim's travel, the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper featured photographs of him getting a red-carpet send-off on Saturday afternoon and waving from a train door while holding a cigarette. He was joined by top officials also involved in the Singapore summit, including Kim Yong Chol, former spy chief and Kim's top envoy in negotiations with the United States, as well as senior party aide Ri Su Yong, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and defence chief No Kwang Chol. Other senior officials, such as his de facto chief of staff, Kim Chang Son, and Kim Hyok Chol, negotiations counterpart to US envoy Stephen Biegun, were already in Hanoi to prepare for the summit. Both sides are under pressure to forge more specific agreements than were reached in Singapore. The two leaders are likely to try to build on their personal connection to push things forward in Hanoi, even if only incrementally, analysts said. "They will not make an agreement which breaks up the current flow of diplomacy. (President Trump) has mentioned that they'll meet again; even if there is a low-level agreement, they will seek to keep things moving," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Train spotting Few details of summit arrangements have been released. Some lamp posts on Hanoi's tree-lined streets are decked with North Korean, US and Vietnamese flags fluttering above a handshake design, and security has been stepped up at locations that could be the summit venue, or where the leaders might stay. It could take Kim at least 2-1/2 days to travel to Vietnam by train. Some carriages of a green train were spotted at Beijing's station on Sunday, but it was not confirmed it was Kim's. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Kim's train had passed through a station in China's port city of Tianjin, southeast of Beijing, at around 1 pm (0500 GMT). China has given no details of his trip. Its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

North Korea warns US sceptics as Kim heads for Vietnam for summit with Trump

North Korean leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-sets-off-by-train-to-vietnam-for-summit-with-trump-report-199156">Kim Jong Un</a> angered historically Beijing in the past with his weapons tests, but relations have since improved, showing China remains a key diplomatic player as he cosies up to Donald Trump.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-and-kim-to-have-one-one-one-meeting-at-vietnam-summit-198849">Trump and Kim are due to meet in Hanoi </a>from February 27-28 -- their second face-to-face since a summit in Singapore in June that produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161"> I don't want my children to bear </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161">burden</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161"> of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un</a>

Here is a look at how China continues to make its presence felt as the summit approaches.

Why did the Cold War allies have a falling out?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics%3A-china-provides-top-security-to-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-145914">China has supported the Kim dynasty</a> since the Korean War, but Pyongyang's nuclear programme has threatened Beijing's desire for stability in the region and strained the relationship between the Cold War allies.&nbsp;

Ties dropped to a low point in 2017 following a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, with China backing a raft of UN sanctions, including bans on North Korean exports of coal, iron and seafood.

"Previously China saw North Korea as a useful buffer against the US," said Zhao Tong, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing.

But Pyongyang's weapons testing has created headaches for Beijing, "and China felt North Korea was increasingly becoming a liability rather than an asset," he added. &nbsp;

Why have relations improved?

A turning point came when <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-ends-beijing-visit-as-trump-summit-looms-189192">Kim travelled to Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping </a>last year -- the young leader's first foreign trip since he came to power.

Since then, the leaders have met three more times in China, though Xi has yet to act on invitations to visit North Korea.

A closer relationship with Beijing gives Pyongyang leverage over the US, analysts say. As North Korea's main trading partner and sole major ally, China's economic support and diplomatic backing are also crucial to Pyongyang in case talks with the US fall through.

"Kim may be working to play China and the United States off of each other -- in making frequent visits to Beijing, Kim is signalling to the Trump administration that he has other options," said Emily Weinstein, a research analyst at Pointe Bello.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-the-china-north-korea-unholy-nexus-28306">The China-North Korea unholy nexus</a>

But the improved ties should not be exaggerated, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"I believe that Kim recognises that he must show some deference to China, but he seeks to reduce his country's dependence on China and diversify its options," she said.

Is China worried about Trump and Kim's bromance?

Despite the frequent meetings, there appears to be little love lost between the Asian leaders.

Former US ambassador to China Max Baucus told the BBC in 2017 that Xi "does not like that man (Kim) at all", and analysts say their relationship is strategic rather than one based on trust.

In contrast, Kim and Trump have shifted from trading vicious personal attacks to a budding bromance, with the US president saying they "fell in love" upon exchanging a series of letters following their meeting in Singapore.

Personal chemistry aside, the prospect of closer ties between Washington and Pyongyang is worrying for Beijing, which wants to keep Pyongyang out of America's sphere of influence but also wants denuclearisation, analysts say.

"Beijing fears a fundamental shift that would result in the US having a better relationship with North Korea than China has," said Glaser, adding that this is an unlikely outcome in the near term.

"A Trump-Kim deal in which the US and North Korea keep talking and there is incremental progress toward the goal of denuclearisation is beneficial for China."

How has China kept its influence over North Korea?

China's influence is palpable as the summit approaches, with Kim making another trip to Beijing last month -- seen by analysts as a meeting to coordinate strategy with Xi.

Kim could meet with Xi again before the summit, as his train reportedly crossed into China late Saturday.&nbsp;

Though his presence on board the train was not confirmed, a long train ride across his giant neighbour to reach Vietnam is another symbol of China's unavoidable role in the diplomatic shuffle.&nbsp;

Beijing lent Kim a plane to travel to Singapore in June.

China called for easing sanctions on Pyongyang in September, undercutting the US attempts to exert international pressure on Pyongyang to give up its weapons program.

"China has resumed some of the economic and trading relationships with North Korea and that has been very helpful for North Korea to survive under the very harsh international maximum pressure campaign led by the United States," said Zhao.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un angered historically Beijing in the past with his weapons tests, but relations have since improved, showing China remains a key diplomatic player as he cosies up to Donald Trump.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un angered historically Beijing in the past with his weapons tests, but relations have since improved, showing China remains a key diplomatic player as he cosies up to Donald Trump. Trump and Kim are due to meet in Hanoi from February 27-28 -- their second face-to-face since a summit in Singapore in June that produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation. Also read: I don't want my children to bear burden of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un Here is a look at how China continues to make its presence felt as the summit approaches. Why did the Cold War allies have a falling out? China has supported the Kim dynasty since the Korean War, but Pyongyang's nuclear programme has threatened Beijing's desire for stability in the region and strained the relationship between the Cold War allies. Ties dropped to a low point in 2017 following a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, with China backing a raft of UN sanctions, including bans on North Korean exports of coal, iron and seafood. "Previously China saw North Korea as a useful buffer against the US," said Zhao Tong, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing. But Pyongyang's weapons testing has created headaches for Beijing, "and China felt North Korea was increasingly becoming a liability rather than an asset," he added. Why have relations improved? A turning point came when Kim travelled to Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping last year -- the young leader's first foreign trip since he came to power. Since then, the leaders have met three more times in China, though Xi has yet to act on invitations to visit North Korea. A closer relationship with Beijing gives Pyongyang leverage over the US, analysts say. As North Korea's main trading partner and sole major ally, China's economic support and diplomatic backing are also crucial to Pyongyang in case talks with the US fall through. "Kim may be working to play China and the United States off of each other -- in making frequent visits to Beijing, Kim is signalling to the Trump administration that he has other options," said Emily Weinstein, a research analyst at Pointe Bello. Also read: The China-North Korea unholy nexus But the improved ties should not be exaggerated, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I believe that Kim recognises that he must show some deference to China, but he seeks to reduce his country's dependence on China and diversify its options," she said. Is China worried about Trump and Kim's bromance? Despite the frequent meetings, there appears to be little love lost between the Asian leaders. Former US ambassador to China Max Baucus told the BBC in 2017 that Xi "does not like that man (Kim) at all", and analysts say their relationship is strategic rather than one based on trust. In contrast, Kim and Trump have shifted from trading vicious personal attacks to a budding bromance, with the US president saying they "fell in love" upon exchanging a series of letters following their meeting in Singapore. Personal chemistry aside, the prospect of closer ties between Washington and Pyongyang is worrying for Beijing, which wants to keep Pyongyang out of America's sphere of influence but also wants denuclearisation, analysts say. "Beijing fears a fundamental shift that would result in the US having a better relationship with North Korea than China has," said Glaser, adding that this is an unlikely outcome in the near term. "A Trump-Kim deal in which the US and North Korea keep talking and there is incremental progress toward the goal of denuclearisation is beneficial for China." How has China kept its influence over North Korea? China's influence is palpable as the summit approaches, with Kim making another trip to Beijing last month -- seen by analysts as a meeting to coordinate strategy with Xi. Kim could meet with Xi again before the summit, as his train reportedly crossed into China late Saturday. Though his presence on board the train was not confirmed, a long train ride across his giant neighbour to reach Vietnam is another symbol of China's unavoidable role in the diplomatic shuffle. Beijing lent Kim a plane to travel to Singapore in June. China called for easing sanctions on Pyongyang in September, undercutting the US attempts to exert international pressure on Pyongyang to give up its weapons program. "China has resumed some of the economic and trading relationships with North Korea and that has been very helpful for North Korea to survive under the very harsh international maximum pressure campaign led by the United States," said Zhao.

Why China remains key player as US, North Korea meet

North Korean leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-sets-off-by-train-to-vietnam-for-summit-with-trump-report-199156">Kim Jong-Un</a> told the US&nbsp;secretary of state he did not want his children to live with the burden of nuclear weapons, a former CIA officer involved in high-level diplomacy over the North's weapons was quoted as saying on Saturday.

Kim made the rare personal comments to Mike Pompeo during a visit to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, in April last year to lay the groundwork for the historic first summit between the North's leader and US President Donald Trump in June in Singapore, former CIA official Andrew Kim said, South Korea's Yonhap news agency and the Wall Street Journal reported.

“'I’m a father and a husband. And I have children'," Andrew Kim quoted the North Korean leader as telling Pompeo when asked whether he was willing to end his nuclear programme.

"'And I don’t want my children to carry the nuclear weapon on their back their whole life.’ That was his answer," Andrew Kim told a lecture on Friday at Stanford University’s Asia Pacific Research Center, where he is a visiting scholar.

Before he retired from the CIA, Kim established the agency's Korea Mission Center, in April 2017, and accompanied Pompeo - who was then CIA director - to Pyongyang last year.

In their Singapore summit, Kim and Trump pledged to work towards peace between their countries and for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

But little progress has been made since then and they are set to meet again in Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday. They are expected to focus on what steps North Korea might take towards denuclearisation, in exchange for what US concession.

The former CIA officer said the North Korean leader expressed a strong desire to improve ties with the United States as a way to build confidence between them, which he said was needed to end the nuclear weapons programme.

The North Korean leader left Pyongyang by train for his visit to Vietnam on Saturday afternoon, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Saturday citing a North Korean diplomatic source.

North Korea's state media has yet to confirm either Kim's trip to Vietnam or his summit with Trump.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told the US secretary of state he did not want his children to live with the burden of nuclear weapons, a former CIA officer involved in high-level diplomacy over the North's weapons was quoted as saying on Saturday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told the US secretary of state he did not want his children to live with the burden of nuclear weapons, a former CIA officer involved in high-level diplomacy over the North's weapons was quoted as saying on Saturday. Kim made the rare personal comments to Mike Pompeo during a visit to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, in April last year to lay the groundwork for the historic first summit between the North's leader and US President Donald Trump in June in Singapore, former CIA official Andrew Kim said, South Korea's Yonhap news agency and the Wall Street Journal reported. “'I’m a father and a husband. And I have children'," Andrew Kim quoted the North Korean leader as telling Pompeo when asked whether he was willing to end his nuclear programme. "'And I don’t want my children to carry the nuclear weapon on their back their whole life.’ That was his answer," Andrew Kim told a lecture on Friday at Stanford University’s Asia Pacific Research Center, where he is a visiting scholar. Before he retired from the CIA, Kim established the agency's Korea Mission Center, in April 2017, and accompanied Pompeo - who was then CIA director - to Pyongyang last year. In their Singapore summit, Kim and Trump pledged to work towards peace between their countries and for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But little progress has been made since then and they are set to meet again in Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday. They are expected to focus on what steps North Korea might take towards denuclearisation, in exchange for what US concession. The former CIA officer said the North Korean leader expressed a strong desire to improve ties with the United States as a way to build confidence between them, which he said was needed to end the nuclear weapons programme. The North Korean leader left Pyongyang by train for his visit to Vietnam on Saturday afternoon, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Saturday citing a North Korean diplomatic source. North Korea's state media has yet to confirm either Kim's trip to Vietnam or his summit with Trump.

I don't want my children to bear burden of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set off by train for Vietnam on Saturday, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump next week, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

The report came hours after Vietnam announced that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-to-make-official-visit-to-vietnam-in-coming-days-199120"> Kim would make an official visit in "coming days"</a>, as the Southeast Asian country prepares to host the summit with Trump on Wednesday and Thursday.

No details of the leaders' travel arrangements, or for the summit, have been officially released.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/kim-trump-lookalikes-commit-to-peace-ahead-of-hanoi-summit-199009#heavily-bronzed-and-freshly-coiffed-impersonators-198990">Kim, Trump lookalikes commit to 'peace' ahead of Hanoi summit</a>

A landmark first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June produced a promise by Kim to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the divided Korean Peninsula. But progress has been scant.

Kim left the North Korean capital of Pyongyang at around 5 pm (0800 GMT) in an armoured train, TASS said, citing a North Korean diplomatic source.

North Korea's state media has yet to confirm either Kim's trip to Vietnam or his summit with Trump.

It could take Kim at least two and a half days to travel thousands of kilometres through China by train to Vietnam.

His train is expected to stop at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang, where he will disembark and drive 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car, the sources said earlier.

Kim is visiting Vietnam at the invitation of President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement earlier on Saturday, but it gave no further details.

Vietnamese police have stepped up security around the border station ahead of Kim's arrival.

On February 26, Vietnam will ban traffic on the road Kim is expected to take to Hanoi from a station on the Chinese border, state media said.

The preferred location for the summit is the Government Guesthouse, a colonial-era building in central Hanoi, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

They said the Metropole Hotel would be a backup location for the summit and Kim could possibly stay in the Melia hotel. A Reuters witness saw workers laying communication cables in the streets behind the Metropole late on Friday.

At the same time, some foreign media organisations received a note from Vietnam's foreign ministry prohibiting live broadcasts in and around the Melia hotel and Hoan Kiem lake in the centre of Hanoi.

The JW Marriott hotel, where Trump is widely expected to stay, will also be out of bounds to live broadcasts, according to a copy of the note reviewed by Reuters.

Several hotels visited by Reuters on Saturday around the scenic Hoan Kiem lake said they had been told by the authorities to restrict access to their rooftops.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set off by train for Vietnam on Saturday, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump next week, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set off by train for Vietnam on Saturday, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump next week, Russia's TASS news agency reported. The report came hours after Vietnam announced that Kim would make an official visit in "coming days", as the Southeast Asian country prepares to host the summit with Trump on Wednesday and Thursday. No details of the leaders' travel arrangements, or for the summit, have been officially released. Also read: Kim, Trump lookalikes commit to 'peace' ahead of Hanoi summit A landmark first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June produced a promise by Kim to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the divided Korean Peninsula. But progress has been scant. Kim left the North Korean capital of Pyongyang at around 5 pm (0800 GMT) in an armoured train, TASS said, citing a North Korean diplomatic source. North Korea's state media has yet to confirm either Kim's trip to Vietnam or his summit with Trump. It could take Kim at least two and a half days to travel thousands of kilometres through China by train to Vietnam. His train is expected to stop at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang, where he will disembark and drive 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car, the sources said earlier. Kim is visiting Vietnam at the invitation of President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement earlier on Saturday, but it gave no further details. Vietnamese police have stepped up security around the border station ahead of Kim's arrival. On February 26, Vietnam will ban traffic on the road Kim is expected to take to Hanoi from a station on the Chinese border, state media said. The preferred location for the summit is the Government Guesthouse, a colonial-era building in central Hanoi, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday. They said the Metropole Hotel would be a backup location for the summit and Kim could possibly stay in the Melia hotel. A Reuters witness saw workers laying communication cables in the streets behind the Metropole late on Friday. At the same time, some foreign media organisations received a note from Vietnam's foreign ministry prohibiting live broadcasts in and around the Melia hotel and Hoan Kiem lake in the centre of Hanoi. The JW Marriott hotel, where Trump is widely expected to stay, will also be out of bounds to live broadcasts, according to a copy of the note reviewed by Reuters. Several hotels visited by Reuters on Saturday around the scenic Hoan Kiem lake said they had been told by the authorities to restrict access to their rooftops.

North Korea's Kim sets off by train to Vietnam for Hanoi summit with Trump: Report

Fake news: Kim, Trump lookalikes commit to 'peace' ahead of Hanoi summit

President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a "very productive meeting" with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam's capital,&nbsp;Hanoi.

"My representatives have just left North Korea after a very productive meeting and an agreed upon time and date for the second Summit with Kim Jong Un. It will take place in&nbsp;Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27 &amp; 28," Trump said on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
My representatives have just left North Korea after a very productive meeting and an agreed upon time and date for the second Summit with Kim Jong Un. It will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27 &amp; 28. I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim &amp; advancing the cause of peace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1094031561861881856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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"I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim &amp; advancing the cause of peace!" he said.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, will become a great Economic Powerhouse. He may surprise some but he won’t surprise me, because I have gotten to know him &amp; fully understand how capable he is. North Korea will become a different kind of Rocket - an Economic one!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1094035813820784640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this week, Trump announced the dates for the second summit with Kim and said it would be held in Vietnam, but the city had not been disclosed.

Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, held three days of talks in Pyongyang to prepare for the summit, the State Department said on Friday.

It said Biegun had agreed with his counterpart Kim Hyok Chol to meet again ahead of the summit.

In their talks in Pyongyang from Wednesday until Friday Biegun and Kim Hyok Chol "discussed advancing President Trump and Chairman Kim's Singapore summit commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming US-DPRK relations, and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the State Department said.Its statement, which referred to North Korea by the acronym for its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, gave no indication of any progress in the talks.

Just weeks ahead of the planned summit to follow on from an unprecedented first meeting between the leaders in Singapore last June, the two sides have appeared far from narrowing differences over US demands for North Korea to give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States.

Biegun said last week his Pyongyang talks would be aimed at seeking progress on commitments made in Singapore and mapping out "a set of concrete deliverables" for the second summit.

He said Washington was willing to discuss "many actions" to improve ties and entice Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and that Trump was ready to end the 1950-53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

'Economic powerhouse'

Biegun said Kim Jong Un committed during an October visit by US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the dismantling and destruction of plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities and that "corresponding measures" demanded by North Korea would be the subject of his talks.

At the same time, he set out an extensive list of demands that North Korea would have to meet eventually, including full disclosure of its nuclear and missile programs, something Pyongyang has rejected for decades.

Trump, eager for a foreign policy win to distract from domestic troubles, has been keen for a second summit despite a lack of significant moves by North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. He and Biegun have stressed the economic benefits to North Korea if it does so.

"North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, will become a great Economic Powerhouse," Trump said on Twitter.

"He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, because I have gotten to know him &amp; fully understand how capable he is," Trump said.

Trump announced the plan for his second meeting with Kim in his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Trump said much work remained to be done in the push for peace with North Korea, but cited the halt in its nuclear testing and no new missile launches in 15 months as proof of progress.

The Singapore summit yielded a vague commitment by Kim to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, where US&nbsp;troops have been stationed since the Korean War.

While in the US view North Korea has yet to take concrete steps to give up its nuclear weapons, Pyongyang complains that Washington has done little to reciprocate for its freezing of nuclear and missile testing and dismantling of some facilities.

Pyongyang has repeatedly urged a lifting of punishing US-led sanctions, a formal end to the war, and security guarantees.

South Korea's Yonhap News agency quoted that country's foreign ministry as saying that Biegun arrived back in Seoul from Pyongyang on Friday evening, Seoul time, and would meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Saturday morning to provide her a briefing on the results of his talks.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a "very productive meeting" with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. diplomats had a "very productive meeting" with North Korean officials, and he announced his summit later this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. "My representatives have just left North Korea after a very productive meeting and an agreed upon time and date for the second Summit with Kim Jong Un. It will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27 & 28," Trump said on Twitter. My representatives have just left North Korea after a very productive meeting and an agreed upon time and date for the second Summit with Kim Jong Un. It will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27 & 28. I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim & advancing the cause of peace! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2019 × "I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim & advancing the cause of peace!" he said. North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, will become a great Economic Powerhouse. He may surprise some but he won’t surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is. North Korea will become a different kind of Rocket - an Economic one! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2019 × Earlier this week, Trump announced the dates for the second summit with Kim and said it would be held in Vietnam, but the city had not been disclosed. Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, held three days of talks in Pyongyang to prepare for the summit, the State Department said on Friday. It said Biegun had agreed with his counterpart Kim Hyok Chol to meet again ahead of the summit. In their talks in Pyongyang from Wednesday until Friday Biegun and Kim Hyok Chol "discussed advancing President Trump and Chairman Kim's Singapore summit commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming US-DPRK relations, and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the State Department said.Its statement, which referred to North Korea by the acronym for its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, gave no indication of any progress in the talks. Just weeks ahead of the planned summit to follow on from an unprecedented first meeting between the leaders in Singapore last June, the two sides have appeared far from narrowing differences over US demands for North Korea to give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States. Biegun said last week his Pyongyang talks would be aimed at seeking progress on commitments made in Singapore and mapping out "a set of concrete deliverables" for the second summit. He said Washington was willing to discuss "many actions" to improve ties and entice Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and that Trump was ready to end the 1950-53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty. 'Economic powerhouse' Biegun said Kim Jong Un committed during an October visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the dismantling and destruction of plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities and that "corresponding measures" demanded by North Korea would be the subject of his talks. At the same time, he set out an extensive list of demands that North Korea would have to meet eventually, including full disclosure of its nuclear and missile programs, something Pyongyang has rejected for decades. Trump, eager for a foreign policy win to distract from domestic troubles, has been keen for a second summit despite a lack of significant moves by North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. He and Biegun have stressed the economic benefits to North Korea if it does so. "North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, will become a great Economic Powerhouse," Trump said on Twitter. "He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is," Trump said. Trump announced the plan for his second meeting with Kim in his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trump said much work remained to be done in the push for peace with North Korea, but cited the halt in its nuclear testing and no new missile launches in 15 months as proof of progress. The Singapore summit yielded a vague commitment by Kim to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, where US troops have been stationed since the Korean War. While in the US view North Korea has yet to take concrete steps to give up its nuclear weapons, Pyongyang complains that Washington has done little to reciprocate for its freezing of nuclear and missile testing and dismantling of some facilities. Pyongyang has repeatedly urged a lifting of punishing US-led sanctions, a formal end to the war, and security guarantees. South Korea's Yonhap News agency quoted that country's foreign ministry as saying that Biegun arrived back in Seoul from Pyongyang on Friday evening, Seoul time, and would meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Saturday morning to provide her a briefing on the results of his talks.

Trump says summit with Kim to take place in Hanoi

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