Apparently blindsided by President Trump’s decision to cancel next month’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened an emergency meeting of his top security officials in Seoul Thursday night to discuss what happens next.
The Yonhap news agency reported that Mr. Moon, a prime mover of the detente with North Korea who had been in Washington to discuss preparations for the summit earlier this week, huddled with his chief of staff, top security adviser, intelligence chief and other ministers, citing a statement from Mr. Moon’s press secretary Yoon Young-chan.
“[We] are trying to figure out what President Trump’s intention is and the exact meaning of it,” presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters.
Mr. Moon, a longtime supporter of rapprochement with the North, has aggressively promoted the talks and the Kim-Trump summit as a way to reduce tensions on the divided peninsula. He effusively praised Mr. Trump’s decision to go to Singapore June 12 to meet with Mr. Kim, and South Korean officials had said there was a “99.9 percent done deal” earlier this week.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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