Trump says he could invite Kim to U.S. if summit goes well
The highly anticipated summit in Singapore is five days away as the two sides try to reach a deal on dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program in exchange for security guarantees.
Trump said he is prepared to walk if the negotiations don't go well, but he also dangled the possibility of a follow-up meeting in Washington.
"Certainly if it goes well. And I think it would be well-received. I think he would look at it very favorably. So I think that could happen," he said during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House. "Maybe we'll start with the White House."
A visit to the U.S. would serve as a powerful symbol of normalizing ties between the former Korean War foes.
Trump said it's possible they will use next week's meeting to sign an agreement to end the conflict. The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, leaving the two sides technically at war.
"As you know, that would be a first step. It's what happens after the agreement that really is the big point," he said. "Normalizing relations is something that I would expect to do, I would hope to do, when everything is complete."
Trump earlier expressed confidence that he is ready for the summit.
"The summit is all ready to go," he said at the top of his meeting with Abe, adding that both sides have been preparing for a long time.
"I think I'm very well prepared. I don't think I have to prepare very much," he said. "It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done ... So this isn't a question of preparation; it's a question of whether or not people want it to happen, and we'll know that very quickly."
Trump and Kim are slated to meet at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
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