According to reports, former US president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-us-corporates-slashed-political-donations-after-trumps-claims-of-election-fraud-365178">Trump</a> offered North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un a ride home in Air Force after the 2019 summit in Vietnam.

A BBC documentary quoting a top Asia expert on Trump's National Security Council Matthew Pottinger reported that Trump knew that Kim had undertaken a long trip in his train through China to Hanoi, so Trump reportedly told the North Korean leader that "I can get you home in two hours if you want".

Trump's offer was reportedly declined by Kim. For his first summit with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-attorney-general-pick-plans-to-remove-trumps-tainted-hangover-from-department-365145">Trump</a> in Singapore in 2018, the North Korean leader had taken a ride on Air China plane

During the Singapore summit earlier, Trump in a friendly gesture had given Kim a glimpse inside his presidential car "The Beast".

Kim and Trump had earlier engaged in a war of words with the former US president calling Kim "rocket man", the Hanoi summit however ended in failure after talks broke up over sanctions relief as Trump walked out.

The attempted denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula which was the key agenda of Trump did not materialise as Kim refused to put a timeline, in fact, last month Kim said the US was North Korea's "biggest enemy" while asserting that US policy against North Korea will never change no matter "who is in power".

The new US president Joe Biden has vowed to work with allies including Japan and South Korea to chart the way forward on North Korea.

According to reports, former US president Trump offered North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un a ride home in Air Force after the 2019 summit in Vietnam. A BBC documentary quoting a top Asia expert on Trump's National Security Council Matthew Pottinger reported that Trump knew that Kim had undertaken a long trip in his train through China to Hanoi, so Trump reportedly told the North Korean leader that "I can get you home in two hours if you want".

According to reports, former US president Trump offered North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un a ride home in Air Force after the 2019 summit in Vietnam. A BBC documentary quoting a top Asia expert on Trump's National Security Council Matthew Pottinger reported that Trump knew that Kim had undertaken a long trip in his train through China to Hanoi, so Trump reportedly told the North Korean leader that "I can get you home in two hours if you want". Trump's offer was reportedly declined by Kim. For his first summit with Trump in Singapore in 2018, the North Korean leader had taken a ride on Air China plane During the Singapore summit earlier, Trump in a friendly gesture had given Kim a glimpse inside his presidential car "The Beast". Kim and Trump had earlier engaged in a war of words with the former US president calling Kim "rocket man", the Hanoi summit however ended in failure after talks broke up over sanctions relief as Trump walked out. The attempted denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula which was the key agenda of Trump did not materialise as Kim refused to put a timeline, in fact, last month Kim said the US was North Korea's "biggest enemy" while asserting that US policy against North Korea will never change no matter "who is in power". The new US president Joe Biden has vowed to work with allies including Japan and South Korea to chart the way forward on North Korea.

Trump offered North Korea's Kim Jong Un ride back home on Air Force One: Report

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, only days after it <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-new-missile-a-solemn-warning-to-south-korean-warmongers-238512">launched two other missiles</a> intended to pressure South Korea and the United States to stop upcoming military drills.

The latest launches were from the Hodo peninsula on North Korea's east coast, the same area from where last week's were conducted, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. It said it was monitoring in case of additional launches.

The JCS in Seoul said later the North had fired ballistic missiles that flew about 250 km (155 miles). South Korean news agency Yonhap said they appeared to be a different type to previous launches.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-missile-tests-are-warning-to-south-korea-238647/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Colonel Lee Peters, a spokesman for US military forces in South Korea, said: "We are aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea and we will continue to monitor the situation."

He did not comment when asked whether the joint South Korea-US drills, scheduled to begin next month, would continue.

Japan's defence ministry said no missiles had reached Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone, and the launches did not threaten Japan's immediate security.

North Korea had test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles on July 25, its first missile tests since leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met on June 30 and agreed to revive stalled denuclearisation talks.

The White House, the Pentagon and the US State Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both played down last week's launches and Pompeo has continued to express hope for a diplomatic way forward with North Korea.

Since Trump and Kim's June 30 meeting in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, Pyongyang has accused Washington of breaking a promise by planning to hold joint military exercises with South Korea next month and warned that these could derail any talks.

North Korea has also warned of a possible end to its freeze on nuclear and long-range missile tests that has been in place since 2017, which Trump has repeatedly upheld as evidence of the success of his engagement with Kim.

A top South Korean official said last month the drills would go ahead as planned but would mainly involve computer simulations and not troops in the field.

The February summit in Vietnam between Trump and Kim collapsed after the two sides failed to reconcile differences between Washington's demands for Pyongyang's complete denuclearisation and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

Trump reiterated to reporters at the White House earlier on Tuesday that he had a good relationship with Kim, but added: "We'll see what happens. I can't tell you what's going to happen."

Pompeo said on Monday he hoped working-level talks to revive denuclearisation talks could occur "very soon."

On Tuesday, he told reporters travelling with him on a visit to Asia he did not know when this would happen but hoped US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun and his new counterpart could meet "before too long".

Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho had been expected to meet on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian security forum in Bangkok this week but Ri cancelled his trip, a diplomatic source said told Reuters last week.

Pompeo said on Tuesday he did not anticipate that the North Koreans would be in Bangkok but, if they were, he would look forward to a chance to meet Ri.

"We’ll see if they are there and, if they are, I’m confident we will meet," he said.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, only days after it launched two other missiles intended to pressure South Korea and the United States to stop upcoming military drills.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, only days after it launched two other missiles intended to pressure South Korea and the United States to stop upcoming military drills. The latest launches were from the Hodo peninsula on North Korea's east coast, the same area from where last week's were conducted, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. It said it was monitoring in case of additional launches. The JCS in Seoul said later the North had fired ballistic missiles that flew about 250 km (155 miles). South Korean news agency Yonhap said they appeared to be a different type to previous launches. Watch Video: Colonel Lee Peters, a spokesman for US military forces in South Korea, said: "We are aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea and we will continue to monitor the situation." He did not comment when asked whether the joint South Korea-US drills, scheduled to begin next month, would continue. Japan's defence ministry said no missiles had reached Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone, and the launches did not threaten Japan's immediate security. North Korea had test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles on July 25, its first missile tests since leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met on June 30 and agreed to revive stalled denuclearisation talks. The White House, the Pentagon and the US State Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both played down last week's launches and Pompeo has continued to express hope for a diplomatic way forward with North Korea. Since Trump and Kim's June 30 meeting in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, Pyongyang has accused Washington of breaking a promise by planning to hold joint military exercises with South Korea next month and warned that these could derail any talks. North Korea has also warned of a possible end to its freeze on nuclear and long-range missile tests that has been in place since 2017, which Trump has repeatedly upheld as evidence of the success of his engagement with Kim. A top South Korean official said last month the drills would go ahead as planned but would mainly involve computer simulations and not troops in the field. The February summit in Vietnam between Trump and Kim collapsed after the two sides failed to reconcile differences between Washington's demands for Pyongyang's complete denuclearisation and North Korean demands for sanctions relief. Trump reiterated to reporters at the White House earlier on Tuesday that he had a good relationship with Kim, but added: "We'll see what happens. I can't tell you what's going to happen." Pompeo said on Monday he hoped working-level talks to revive denuclearisation talks could occur "very soon." On Tuesday, he told reporters travelling with him on a visit to Asia he did not know when this would happen but hoped US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun and his new counterpart could meet "before too long". Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho had been expected to meet on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian security forum in Bangkok this week but Ri cancelled his trip, a diplomatic source said told Reuters last week. Pompeo said on Tuesday he did not anticipate that the North Koreans would be in Bangkok but, if they were, he would look forward to a chance to meet Ri. "We’ll see if they are there and, if they are, I’m confident we will meet," he said.

Ahead of South Korea, US military drill, North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-us-sceptics-as-kim-heads-for-vietnam-for-summit-with-trump-199370">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-us-sceptics-as-kim-heads-for-vietnam-for-summit-with-trump-199370">summit with US President Donald Trump</a> where they will try to reach an agreement on a North's Korean pledge to give up its nuclear weapons programme.

Trump is due to arrive in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on Tuesday evening.

Trump will meet Kim for a brief one-on-one conversation on Wednesday evening, followed by a social dinner, at which they will each be accompanied by two guests and interpreters, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters on Air Force One.

She said that would be followed by more meetings between the two leaders on Thursday.

Their talks come eight months after their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-kim-ii-the-summit-the-script-and-the-sequel-199292">historic summit in Singapore</a>, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.

While there is no real expectation that the second meeting will bring a final deal on ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons that threaten the United States, there are some hopes it could lead to a declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is at last formally over.

But the United States would expect significant movement by Kim towards denuclearisation in return.

In Singapore, Kim pledged to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but the vague agreement struck there has produced few concrete results. US Democratic senators and security officials have warned Trump against cutting a deal that would do little to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Kim travelling from the North Korean capital by train.'s train arrived at the station in the Vietnamese town of Dong Dang after crossing over the border from China, a Reuters witnesses at the station said.

Vietnamese officials were on hand to receive him at the station with a red-carpet including a guard of honour and North Korean and Vietnamese flags flying.

Kim left his train in Dong Dang and set off on the 170 km (105 miles) to the capital, Hanoi, by car.

Both Kim and Trump are also due to hold separate talks with Vietnamese leaders.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also arrived in Hanoi, on Tuesday, a reporter travelling with him said.

Pompeo has been Trump's top envoy in his efforts to improve ties with the reclusive North and has made several trips to Pyongyang to negotiate steps towards ending its nuclear programme.

'Tremendous'

Trump told reporters he and Kim would have "a very tremendous summit".

Tweeting on Monday, he stressed the benefits to North Korea if it gave up its nuclear weapons. "With complete Denuclearization, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse. Without it, just more of the same. Chairman Kim will make a wise decision!" Trump said.

In a speech on Sunday night, Trump, however, appeared to play down any hope of a major breakthrough at the Hanoi summit, saying he would be happy as long as North Korea maintained its pause on weapons testing.

"I'm not in a rush. I don't want to rush anybody," he said. "I just don't want testing. As long as there's no testing, we're happy."

North Korea conducted its last nuclear test in September 2017 and last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.

A South Korean presidential spokesman told reporters in Seoul on Monday that the two sides might be able to agree to a formal end of the Korean War, which ended in an armistice not a peace treaty, a move North Korea has long sought.

While a formal peace treaty may be a long way off, the two sides have discussed the possibility of a political declaration stating that the war over.

"The possibility is there," the South Korean spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom told a briefing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a summit with US President Donald Trump where they will try to reach an agreement on a North's Korean pledge to give up its nuclear weapons programme.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a summit with US President Donald Trump where they will try to reach an agreement on a North's Korean pledge to give up its nuclear weapons programme. Trump is due to arrive in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on Tuesday evening. Trump will meet Kim for a brief one-on-one conversation on Wednesday evening, followed by a social dinner, at which they will each be accompanied by two guests and interpreters, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters on Air Force One. She said that would be followed by more meetings between the two leaders on Thursday. Their talks come eight months after their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. While there is no real expectation that the second meeting will bring a final deal on ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons that threaten the United States, there are some hopes it could lead to a declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is at last formally over. But the United States would expect significant movement by Kim towards denuclearisation in return. In Singapore, Kim pledged to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but the vague agreement struck there has produced few concrete results. US Democratic senators and security officials have warned Trump against cutting a deal that would do little to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Kim travelling from the North Korean capital by train.'s train arrived at the station in the Vietnamese town of Dong Dang after crossing over the border from China, a Reuters witnesses at the station said. Vietnamese officials were on hand to receive him at the station with a red-carpet including a guard of honour and North Korean and Vietnamese flags flying. Kim left his train in Dong Dang and set off on the 170 km (105 miles) to the capital, Hanoi, by car. Both Kim and Trump are also due to hold separate talks with Vietnamese leaders. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also arrived in Hanoi, on Tuesday, a reporter travelling with him said. Pompeo has been Trump's top envoy in his efforts to improve ties with the reclusive North and has made several trips to Pyongyang to negotiate steps towards ending its nuclear programme. 'Tremendous' Trump told reporters he and Kim would have "a very tremendous summit". Tweeting on Monday, he stressed the benefits to North Korea if it gave up its nuclear weapons. "With complete Denuclearization, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse. Without it, just more of the same. Chairman Kim will make a wise decision!" Trump said. In a speech on Sunday night, Trump, however, appeared to play down any hope of a major breakthrough at the Hanoi summit, saying he would be happy as long as North Korea maintained its pause on weapons testing. "I'm not in a rush. I don't want to rush anybody," he said. "I just don't want testing. As long as there's no testing, we're happy." North Korea conducted its last nuclear test in September 2017 and last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017. A South Korean presidential spokesman told reporters in Seoul on Monday that the two sides might be able to agree to a formal end of the Korean War, which ended in an armistice not a peace treaty, a move North Korea has long sought. While a formal peace treaty may be a long way off, the two sides have discussed the possibility of a political declaration stating that the war over. "The possibility is there," the South Korean spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom told a briefing.

North Korea's Kim arrives in Vietnam for summit; Trump on his way

Pyongyang's special representative for the US arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday with a North Korean delegation, an AFP reporter and source confirmed, ahead of a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un next week.

Kim Hyok Chol was seen by an AFP reporter walking into a government guesthouse where other North Korean officials in town for pre-summit preparations were staying over the weekend.&nbsp;

He arrived from Beijing, where he spent a night en route from North Korea.&nbsp;

"A team of North Koreans arrived on a flight from Beijing," a source at the airport told AFP, requesting anonymity.&nbsp;

Kim Hyok Chol is expected to meet with his US counterpart Stephen Biegun, who is heading to Hanoi, later in the week to lay the groundwork for talks between Trump and Kim in the Vietnamese capital on February 27-28.&nbsp;

Biegen and Kim Hyok Chol met in Pyongyang earlier this month to hammer out US and North Korean positions on denuclearisation ahead of the much-anticipated meeting.&nbsp;

The summit will be the second face-to-face for Kim and Trump after a summit in Singapore in June that produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation.

Progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what exactly denuclearisation means.&nbsp;

Observers are hoping for more concrete outcomes from the Hanoi summit to avoid it being dismissed as a publicity stunt.&nbsp;

Trump said on Tuesday that while he hoped his next meeting with Kim Jong Un would yield progress, he was also in "no rush" for results.

"I'd like to see ultimately denuclearisation of North Korea," Trump told reporters.

Kim's 'butler'

Vietnam is feverishly preparing for the high-profile event, Trump's second visit to the country and the first for a North Korean leader since Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung travelled to the communist country in 1964.

Speculation is swirling that Kim could travel to Vietnam overland via China by train after a North Korean and a Vietnamese team were seen separately surveying roads and rail tracks near the China border with Vietnam.

Kim travelled by air to the summit in Singapore on a plane lent to him by Beijing, but normally travels by armoured train when he visits China.&nbsp;

Officials have remained tight-lipped on summit details, including the agenda and precise venue, though several teams from both sides are already in Hanoi ahead of the meeting.&nbsp;

Kim Jong Un's de-facto chief of staff Kim Chang Son, dubbed his 'butler', was in Hanoi over the weekend to discuss protocol and security matters with the US team.&nbsp;

He was seen at the government guesthouse and the colonial-era, French-built Metropole hotel, both slated as possible venues for the summit, though officials have so far refused to confirm the precise meeting location. &nbsp;

Alex Wong, US deputy assistant secretary of state for North Korea, arrived in the Vietnamese capital preparing for the summit earlier this week, while Biegen could arrive Thursday.&nbsp;

A State Department deputy spokesman said the US objectives have not changed since the Singapore summit.&nbsp;

"Chairman Kim's commitment to denuclearisation upon which the world is focused right now and... that remains our goal," Robert Palladino told reporters.

Pyongyang's special representative for the US arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday with a North Korean delegation, an AFP reporter and source confirmed, ahead of a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un next week.

Pyongyang's special representative for the US arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday with a North Korean delegation, an AFP reporter and source confirmed, ahead of a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un next week. Kim Hyok Chol was seen by an AFP reporter walking into a government guesthouse where other North Korean officials in town for pre-summit preparations were staying over the weekend. He arrived from Beijing, where he spent a night en route from North Korea. "A team of North Koreans arrived on a flight from Beijing," a source at the airport told AFP, requesting anonymity. Kim Hyok Chol is expected to meet with his US counterpart Stephen Biegun, who is heading to Hanoi, later in the week to lay the groundwork for talks between Trump and Kim in the Vietnamese capital on February 27-28. Biegen and Kim Hyok Chol met in Pyongyang earlier this month to hammer out US and North Korean positions on denuclearisation ahead of the much-anticipated meeting. The summit will be the second face-to-face for Kim and Trump after a summit in Singapore in June that produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation. Progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what exactly denuclearisation means. Observers are hoping for more concrete outcomes from the Hanoi summit to avoid it being dismissed as a publicity stunt. Trump said on Tuesday that while he hoped his next meeting with Kim Jong Un would yield progress, he was also in "no rush" for results. "I'd like to see ultimately denuclearisation of North Korea," Trump told reporters. Kim's 'butler' Vietnam is feverishly preparing for the high-profile event, Trump's second visit to the country and the first for a North Korean leader since Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung travelled to the communist country in 1964. Speculation is swirling that Kim could travel to Vietnam overland via China by train after a North Korean and a Vietnamese team were seen separately surveying roads and rail tracks near the China border with Vietnam. Kim travelled by air to the summit in Singapore on a plane lent to him by Beijing, but normally travels by armoured train when he visits China. Officials have remained tight-lipped on summit details, including the agenda and precise venue, though several teams from both sides are already in Hanoi ahead of the meeting. Kim Jong Un's de-facto chief of staff Kim Chang Son, dubbed his 'butler', was in Hanoi over the weekend to discuss protocol and security matters with the US team. He was seen at the government guesthouse and the colonial-era, French-built Metropole hotel, both slated as possible venues for the summit, though officials have so far refused to confirm the precise meeting location. Alex Wong, US deputy assistant secretary of state for North Korea, arrived in the Vietnamese capital preparing for the summit earlier this week, while Biegen could arrive Thursday. A State Department deputy spokesman said the US objectives have not changed since the Singapore summit. "Chairman Kim's commitment to denuclearisation upon which the world is focused right now and... that remains our goal," Robert Palladino told reporters.

North Korea's US envoy arrives in Hanoi ahead of Trump-Kim summit: Report

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Trump offered North Korea's Kim Jong Un ride back home on Air Force One: Report

Ahead of South Korea, US military drill, North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles

North Korea's Kim arrives in Vietnam for summit; Trump on his way

North Korea's US envoy arrives in Hanoi ahead of Trump-Kim summit: Report