The White House announced on Monday that the highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is set to be held at 9 a.m. Singapore time (1 a.m. GMT) on June 12.
White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders revealed the time at a press briefing, adding that the US side is now "actively preparing" for the upcoming summit.
“We feel like things are continuing to move forward, and good progress has been made," Sanders said.
White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, June 4, 2018. /VCG Photo
She also mentioned that the "advance team" – which features military, security, technical and medical staff – was already in Singapore.
They are "finalizing logistical preparations and will remain in place until the summit begins," she said.
The announcement of the detailed time came just three days after Trump met with the DPRK's top envoy Kim Yong Chol, who hand-delivered a letter from Kim Jong Un. Trump, who had previously scrapped the meeting with Kim Jong Un due to "‘tremendous anger and open hostility," announced that the summit was back on.
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Trump says June 12 summit with Kim to proceed as originally planned
US President Donald Trump (C-R), poses for photographs with senior DPRK official Kim Yong Chol (C-L) at the White House in Washington, DC, June 1, 2018. /VCG Photo
24 days of on-off negotiations:
- May 10: Trump announces on Twitter that he will meet Kim in Singapore on June 12.
- May 16: DPRK threatens to cancel Trump-Kim summit over US national security adviser John Bolton's comments on "Libyan model."
- May 24: Trump cancels his summit with Kim, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility."
- May 24: DPRK is "surprised" at the cancellation, still expresses hope for Trump-Kim summit.
- May 26: Kim expresses "fixed will" on Trump-Kim summit.
- May 26: Trump states he's still "looking at June 12 in Singapore," adding the summit is "moving along very nicely."
- June 1: Trump confirms meeting with Kim.
- June 4: White House confirms the summit will be held at 9 a.m. Singapore time (1 a.m. GMT) on June 12.
