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Thursday, May 10, 2018, 23:20
Trump says to meet DPRK's Kim in Singapore on June 12
By Agencies
Thursday, May 10, 2018, 23:20 By Agencies

In this Aug 10, 2017, file photo, a man watches a television screen showing US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un during a news program at the Seoul Train Station in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. Kim has expressed his confidence that the upcoming summit with President Trump would be a historic one. (AHN YOUNG-JOON, FILE / AP)

WASHINGTON/SEOUL/TOKYO - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will meet with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore for a first ever summit between the leaders of the two countries.

"We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!" Trump said on Twitter

"The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong-un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!" Trump said on Twitter.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the DPRK's nuclear weapons development and testing program, which has deepened long-seated tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.

Trump's announcement came just hours after three Americans who had been held prisoner in the DPRK arrived at a US military base outside Washington, having been released by Kim.

READ MORE: Trump thanks DPRK's Kim for releasing 3 Americans

Trump said on their arrival that he believed Kim wanted to bring the DPRK "into the real world" and had high hopes for their planned meeting, which would be the first between a serving US president and a DPRK leader.

"I think we have a very good chance of doing something very meaningful," Trump said. "My proudest achievement will be - this is part of it - when we denuclearize that entire peninsula."

The DPRK leader Kim, meanwhile, has expressed his confidence that the upcoming summit with  Trump would be a historic one.

READ MORE: White House confirms DPRK's release of 3 American detainees

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim highly appreciated that Trump showed interest in settling the issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue.

In this May 3, 2018 photo, people watch a TV news report on screen, showing portraits of three Americans, Kim Dong-chul, left, Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song, right, detained in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, Republic of Korea. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)ROK FM to visit Washington

The release of the prisoners gave Trump a chance to tout a diplomatic achievement just a day after his decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal drew heavy criticism from European allies and others.

"I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The DPRK is also referred to as North Korea. 

"I appreciate Kim Jong-un doing this and allowing them to go," Trump told reporters at the White House.

The three men are Korean-American missionary Kim Dong-chul, detained in 2015; Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim, who spent a month teaching at the foreign-funded Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) before he was arrested in 2017; and Kim Hak-song, who also taught at PUST and was detained last year.

The DPRK state media said they were arrested either for subversion or "hostile acts" against the government.

ROK's FM to visit US

The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha planned to visit Washington on Friday for talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ahead of the DPRK-US summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Thursday. 

The Republic of Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, Jan 9, 2018. (JUNG YEON-JE / POOL PHOTO VIA AP)

Kang, who is currently in Cuba, will fly to Washington on Friday to hold her first meeting with Pompeo. 

After the meeting, Kang and Pompeo planned to hold a joint press conference, the Seoul ministry said. 

ROK President Moon Jae-in planned to visit Washington on May 22 to hold a summit with Trump. 

The Seoul ministry said Kang and Pompeo will discuss on how to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and build peace through a successful dialogue.

READ MORE: Kim-Trump summit faces big challenges

The foreign ministers will also discuss bilateral pending issues and reaffirm the alliance between the two countries as this year marks the 65th anniversary of the alliance, the ministry added.  

Abe holds phone talks with Trump

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed policy measures with US President Trump on the phone on Thursday ahead of the first-ever US-DPRK summit in the coming weeks, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Abe, according to the ministry, told Trump he welcomed DPRK's positive attitude while congratulating the release of three Americans detained by the DPRK, the ministry said.

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