North Korea Blames U.S. for Hanoi Summit Ending Without a Deal

(Bloomberg) -- North Korea’s state media said the world is blaming the U.S. for ending the Hanoi summit without a deal, the first commentary from the country acknowledging the high-stakes talks failed to reach an agreement.

“The public at home and abroad that had hoped for success and good results from the second DPRK-U.S. summit in Hanoi are feeling regretful, blaming the U.S. for the summit that ended without an agreement,” Korea Central News Agency reported, citing a commentary in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper.

Donald Trump abruptly ended a meeting with Kim Jong Un late last month in the Vietnamese city after the U.S. president said the North Korean leader asked for complete sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling the country’s main nuclear complex. The U.S. wanted more action by Pyongyang on hidden nuclear facilities, as well as warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles that could deliver them to the American mainland.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heesu Lee in Seoul at hlee425@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Peter Vercoe, James Poole

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.