North Korea Says Talks Will Continue After Hanoi Summit

While there were a lot of reasons to be disappointed, even pessimistic about the future after the Hanoi Summit ended without a deal, official statements are now coming out of the Korean Peninsula trying to paint things in a more hopeful light.

In particular, North Korea’s state media is saying that the talks were “productive” and will continue in the future. This is a much more positive take than comments from the foreign minister, who expressed uncertainty if North Korea could continue to negotiate given the US position.

Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho claimed President Trump had presented a false account of the collapse of the talks, adding that North Korea’s demand for partial sanctions relief was not going to change, and extra talks might not be worthwhile if the US isn’t ready to deal. The state media, however, suggested they thought it is worthwhile to keep talking, a position the Trump Administration has also taken.

So while we didn’t come out of Hanoi with any actual deal, the talks will be continued. South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s office also issued a statement saying the summit made “more meaningful progress than ever.” While we don’t know what that means, clearly something has come out of these talks.