President Trump expressed an openness to inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the U.S. and even the White House, if summit negotiations go well. Mr. Trump made the remarks in the White House Rose Garden Thursday, during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The summit is in Singapore in five days.
Mr. Trump said he “certainly” would consider inviting the North Korean leader to the U.S. if all goes well following summit negotiations. Given the choice between his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and the White House for a meeting venue, the president suggested the White House.
Mr. Trump also said he would expect to normalize relations with North Korea, should the regime follow through with any agreement in a way that meets U.S. expectations.
The president’s decision to cancel the summit, then call it back on again, squeezed the time frame for planning the Singapore summit, set to take place Tuesday. Speaking to reporters alongside Abe on Thursday, Mr. Trump said that the Tuesday summit is still subject to change.
“I think I’m very well prepared,” Mr. Trump said of the expected summit. “I don’t think I have to prepare very much. It’s about attitude. It’s about willingness to get things done. But I think I’ve been prepared for this summit for a long time.”
Abe has insisted that Japan will accept nothing less than total denuclearization in North Korea.
