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US President Donald Trump talks to reporters at the White House on Oct. 9. (EPA)

US President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 9 that his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be after the US midterm election on Nov. 6.

Speaking to reporters on a flight to Iowa for a political rally, Trump said: “It’ll be after the midterms. I just can’t leave now.” Trump elaborated by saying that he’s currently too busy campaigning for the midterm election.

Earlier in the morning, Trump also announced that three to four places were under consideration as venues for his second North Korea-US summit with Kim Jong-un.

“We’re setting that [second summit] up right now,” Trump told reporters at the White House that morning.

“That was part of the reason that [Secretary of State] Mike [Pompeo] was going over [to Pyongyang] to meet [Kim],” he added.

On the venue for the second summit, Trump said, “[First summit venue] Singapore was fantastic, but we'll probably do a different location.”

“We're talking about three or four different locations. Timing – won't be too far away,” he continued.

When asked whether he might invite Kim to his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, Trump replied, “He'd probably like that. I'd like that, too.”

“But we'll see,” he added.

Reporters also asked if the two might meet on US soil, to which Trump replied, “I don't want to embarrass anybody by asking.”

“I think eventually we're going to have lots of meetings on US soil and on their [North Korea’s] soil, by the way,” he continued.

“That's a two-way street – on their soil, also,” he said.

At the same time, Trump also said, “I think that the country of North Korea is going to be a very successful country. I think it's going to be incredibly economically successful. And I want to make it that way.” His message was seen as hinting at a possible “shuttle diplomacy” process of travel back and forth between the two sides if their relationship improves.

US media previously reported North Korean officials as indicating during Pompeo’s Pyongyang visit on Oct. 7 that they hoped Trump might visit Pyongyang for the second summit. Other reports in the foreign press suggested the US preferred the idea of holding the summit in a third country in Europe.

With the US midterm elections scheduled for Nov. 8, Trump faces difficulties traveling overseas during the campaign period. For that reason, most observers have predicted the second summit is likely to take place once the midterms are over.

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

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