World urges US-DPRK summit after Trump's cancelation

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00:47

The international community has expressed deep concern after US President Donald Trump canceled a June 12 summit with Democratic People's Republic of Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

China

China on Friday called on the DPRK and the US to cherish the current progress and continue to promote denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

"We believe that the DPRK-US summit will promote the denuclearization of the peninsula and we hope they can cherish the progress and demonstrate goodwill and continue to promote denuclearization and decrease the concerns from both sides," said Lu Kang, spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang. /Photo via Chinese Foreign Ministry

Lu added that China welcomes the DPRK's announcement that it dismantled its nuclear test site on Thursday, calling it a meaningful first step toward complete denuclearization.

The ROK

The Republic of Korea's President Moon Jae-in expressed deep regret on Thursday, the Blue House executive office said.

"I am very perplexed and it is very regrettable that the DPRK-US summit will not be held on June 12 when it was scheduled to be held," Moon was quoted as saying at a meeting with his top security officials.

Moon urged direct talks between Trump and Kim and said denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should not be delayed by the decision to call off the summit.

The UN

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech on denuclearization in Geneva, Switzerland, May 24, 2018. /Reuters Photo

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” after Trump canceled his widely anticipated summit next month with Kim.

"I am deeply concerned by the cancellation of the planned meeting in Singapore between the president of the United States and the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” Guterres said as he presented the UN’s new agenda on disarmament in Geneva.

"I urge the parties to continue their dialogue to find a path to a peaceful and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he added.

Russia

President Vladimir Putin said Russia regrets President Trump calling off his summit plans with Kim Jong Un, but hopes the dialogue can be resumed and the summit eventually take place.

"We had counted on that a significant step towards a de-escalation on the Korean Peninsula would be taken and a start made on the denuclearization..." Putin said at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"We hope that a dialogue will be resumed, continued and the meeting take place," said Putin, adding that Kim "did everything he promised to do".

France

Meanwhile, Macron said he wants the "non-proliferation process to continue" despite the cancellation of the summit.

"I would like this to be just an incident," in that process, he added.

What happened in the past 24 hours?

Trading threats again

A tourist takes a photo during a visit to a subway station in Pyongyang, July 23, 2017. /VCG Photo

Earlier, Trump informed Kim he was cancelling the summit, blaming “anger” and “hostility” from the DPRK for the collapse of the historic event.

Trump and Kim had been due to hold high-stakes talks on June 12 aimed at ridding the country of nuclear weapons, but the meeting was recently thrown into doubt as both sides raised the prospect of scrapping the discussions and traded threats.

Trump’s letter came a day after Pyongyang called US Vice President Mike Pence “ignorant and stupid.”

"Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote in a letter to Kim released by the White House.

Pence on Monday warned Pyongyang not to "try and play Trump" in the Singapore summit.

Nuclear demolition completed

A photo taken on May 24, 2018 shows a sign board displaying the planned demolition of DPRK's Punggye-ri nuclear test facility as foreign media gather nearby. /VCG Photo

The decision came as the DPRK said it had “completely” dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed by the country as a goodwill gesture ahead of the Singapore summit.

The dismantlement earlier on Thursday was observed by foreign journalists including the ones from CGTN who had been invited by the DPRK government.

The explosions were centered on three underground tunnels and a number of observation towers in the surrounding area.

The DPRK said it will next remove all observation facilities and research institutes, withdraw guards and completely close the surrounding testing area.

But the process was not immediately verifiable without the presence of a nuclear expert at the test site.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters