Reporters' Diary: Getting 'Trumped'

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It now seems apparent to me that from the moment Democratic People's Republic of Korea's leader Kim Jong Un decided to stay at the same Hanoi hotel as Western journalists during the summit, he was laying the groundwork for two messages: "I deserve to be a global leader" and "I will engage publicly with the media to tell my story."

Hanoi is where we first heard Kim answer questions from Western reporters. The Washington Post's David Nakamura, a fellow colleague covering the White House - got the first question to the reclusive leader.

CGTN's Jessica Stone with The Washington Port reporter David Nakamura at a press conference during their coverage of the 2nd Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 28, 2019. /CGTN Photo

David shared his question right off his recorder:

"Chairman Kim, are you confident?" he asked. "Feeling good about a deal?"

"Well it's too early to tell," Kim responded, "but I wouldn't say that I'm pessimistic. But what I feel right now....I do have a feeling that good results will come out."

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un during an official dinner at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Reporters asked Kim about his willingness to take concrete steps to denuclearize to which Kim replied in Korean: "If I was not, I wouldn't be here." And later, "That's what we're discussing."

He went on to take other questions about his openness to establishing liaison offices in respective capitals - he welcomes it. When he got a question about human rights, he didn't respond, Trump interjected: "We're discussing everything."

About an hour later, came news of the "schedule change." Talks broke down, the White House canceled the signing ceremony and moved up the time for the presidential press conference.

A Vietnamese businessman watches news coverage of the second Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 28, 2019. /CGTN Photo‍

Trump took over the narrative, holding forth for about an hour on what went wrong, taking questions from dozens of reporters - including me (I asked about the role of China in the process).

His version of events: Kim had asked for too much, a total lifting of U.S. sanctions in exchange for a partial denuclearization, just one facility, Yongbyon.

"Sometimes you have to walk, and this was one of those times," said the president.

About 10 hours later, a surprise press conference was held, this time at Pyongyang's request. They were determined that the world would know their version of events.

DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (L) speaks at a news conference following the end of the second summit between DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 1, 2019. /VCG Photo

DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, who sat with an interpreter behind a table in a downtown Hanoi hotel and said Pyongyang had offered a "realistic" proposal: "If the United States removes partial sanctions, mainly remove the articles of sanctions that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people in particular, we will permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear material-productive facilities in the Yongbyon area."

Other DPRK officials also contradicted Trump's assertion that nuclear and missile tests would stay suspended - at Kim's request.

Their version: They had offered to permanently end those tests.

This time, they took no questions from the reporters.

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