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US President Donald Trump tweets on the economic potential of North Korea on Feb. 24, ahead of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
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Pompeo to depart for Vietnam on same day
US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Hanoi on Feb. 26 – a day ahead of the second North Korea-US summit – and return to the US following the event’s conclusion on Feb. 28. The White House announced on Feb. 24 that Trump would be departing for Hanoi on Feb. 25 at 12:30 pm (Washington time) for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Given the duration of the flight, Trump arrived Hanoi at around 10:30 pm Feb. 26, a day ahead of the two-day summit’s start. Additionally, the US State Department announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would “travel to Hanoi, Vietnam February 26-28, where he will participate in the President’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,” which suggests that Trump will be operating on the same schedule. White House National Security Advisor John Bolton also appears set to accompany Trump. Bolton was originally scheduled to visit South Korea early this week to meet with Blue House National Security Office director Chung Eui-yong and Japanese National Security Advisor Shotaro Yachi, but the White House subsequently announced that he had “canceled his travel to the Republic of Korea to focus on events in Venezuela.” A White House National Security Council spokesperson was quoted by CNN as saying that Bolton was “still planning to travel to Hanoi.” Tweeting on Feb. 24, Trump once again emphasized North Korea’s economic potential ahead of the second summit. “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,” he tweeted that day. “Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation!” he added. Trump’s wife Melania is unlikely to accompany him, a source reported. North Korean first lady Ri Sol-ju’s name was also not on a list of delegation members reported by the North Korean press while sharing news of Kim’s departure from Pyongyang. While observers have speculated on the possibility of a meeting between the North Korean and US fist ladies, it appears unlikely to happen this time. By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
