Trump says ‘no rush’ on DPRK denuclearisation

WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Agencies): US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he expected to see the ultimate denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while pointing out that he had no pressing schedule for that objective.
Trump told the press on Tuesday that he was looking forward to meeting Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), next week in Hanoi, Vietnam. "I think a lot of things will come out of it," he said.
Trump said he would like to see the ultimate denuclearization of the DPRK, but at the same time noted that he was "in no particular rush" given that the sanctions remain in effect and Pyongyang has refrained from nuclear and missile testing.
"As long as there's no testing I'm in no rush, if there's testing that's another deal ... I hope that very positive things are going to happen," he said.
Trump also said he discussed "probably every aspect" of the second US-DPRK summit with his Republic of Korea (ROK) counterpart Moon Jae-in during a phone conversation the same day.
According to the Office of President Moon, the two leaders intensively discussed ways to cooperate for the success of the upcoming second U.S.-DPRK summit over the phone for about 35 minutes.
The ROK leader said his country was ready to assume any role, if Trump demands, to offer corresponding measures to facilitate denuclearization on the peninsula.
Stephen Biegun, US special representative for DPRK affairs, was on his way to Hanoi in preparation for the summit between Trump and Kim, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said Tuesday at a press briefing.
Trump announced on Feb 08 that his second meeting with Kim would take place in Hanoi on Feb 27-28. He met with Kim for the first time in Singapore in June 2018, reaching several consensuses which have led to the improvement of US-DPRK relations.
However, differences on such key issues as the road map of denuclearization, U.S. lifting sanctions and whether to issue a war-ending declaration still haunt the two sides and hinder negotiations.
Meanwhile, at a barbershop tucked away in a small Hanoi alley, Le Phuc Hai patiently waits for his hair dye to bleach his natural black into the color of the president of the United States.
On a chair next to him, nine-year-old To Gia Huy emerges as a spitting image of a miniature Kim Jong Un.
"Many people say that I look like Kim Jong Un, especially when I have this hairstyle," said Huy, who was nicknamed "Un" for his likeness to the North Korean leader.
He was unable to hide his excitement that Kim is coming to the Vietnamese capital next week for his second summit with President Donald Trump, and hopes for a chance to see him in person.
As the summit frenzy shakes Hanoi, hairdresser Le Tuan Duong has joined in, offering free Trump or Kim hairstyles to about a dozen customers.
"Hanoi is a city of peace. When Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un decide to come here to talk about restoring peace, I think I should do something to show that Hanoi people welcome the summit," Duong said.
He said Kim's hairstyle shows youth while Trump's displays power.
"But Kim's style is a lot more popular among customers," he said.
Hai, a motorcycle taxi driver, went for Trump's orange because he confessed, "I really like Donald Trump so I want to have (his) hairstyle."