World

South Korean minister: Washington says North canceled meet

08 of November 2018

FILE - In this June 12, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, stands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore. North Korea and the United States are trying to revive stalled diplomacy meant to rid the North of its nuclear weapons. There was much talk of the possibility of success following a meeting in June between Trump and Kim, but in the months since there has been little to quiet skeptics who believe the North will never give up weapons it has described as necessary to counter a hostile Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File),FILE - In this June 12, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, stands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore. North Korea and the United States are trying to revive stalled diplomacy meant to rid the North of its nuclear weapons. There was much talk of the possibility of success following a meeting in June between Trump and Kim, but in the months since there has been little to quiet skeptics who believe the North will never give up weapons it has described as necessary to counter a hostile Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s foreign minister says the United States has confirmed that North Korea initiated the cancellation of a meeting this week between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a senior North Korean official on nuclear issues.

Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers on Thursday that U.S. officials told Seoul that North Korea sent a notification to Washington to call off the meeting aimed at discussing the North’s denuclearization and setting up a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kang provided no information on why North Korea canceled the meeting.

Trump says the United States is “in no rush” and that the meeting would be rescheduled.