By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) – U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he is in "no rush" to make a deal with North Korea as he entered his first day of formal talks with Kim Jong-un.
"Speed is not that important to me," Trump said in Hanoi, where he is meeting Kim. "I have great respect for Chairman Kim, and I have great respect for his country, and I believe that it will be something economically that will be almost hard to compete with for many countries. It has such potential."
The U.S.-North Korean summit is the second since Trump took office amid heightened tensions over the North's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons testing. Negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since Trump and Kim last met in June in Singapore, and while there have been no additional tests, the North has made further progress toward denuclearization contingent on the easing of biting international sanctions.
Asked if he is confident the two sides can reach a deal, Kim told reporters, "It's too early to tell, but I wouldn't say that I'm pessimistic."
"From what I feel right now, I do feel that good results will come out," he added.