Mar 12, 2018

Silence from North Korea since Trump accepted Kim's invitation

Dave Lawler

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters Monday during a visit to Nigeria that the U.S. has "not heard anything directly back from North Korea" since President Trump's abrupt decision to accept an invitation to meet Kim Jong-un.

South Korean official Chung Eui-Yong (2nd L) told Trump about promises from Kim (3rd L). Photo: South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty Images
  • Tillerson's explanation: Things are still “in the very early stages” and the U.S. does expect to "hear something directly from them" at some point, per Politico.
  • Why it matters: Kim's invitation was passed to Trump via South Korean officials, along with his promises to freeze Pyongyang's nuclear program, halt missile testing and allow U.S.-South Korean military drills to move forward. It will be hard to assess whether he intends to keep those promises, and to establish the terms for a meeting, absent direct communication.

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