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US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch as F-35 fighter jets pass the White House with Polish President Andrzej Duda and first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda on June 12. (AP/Yonhap News)

Two days after announcing his receipt of a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump said on June 12 that the US is “in no hurry” regarding North Korea-related issues.

His message opened the door to dialogue with Pyongyang while reaffirming that Washington does not intend to rush things without practical denuclearization measures from the North.

Responding to questions from reporters at the White House that day following a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said, “I think we’re going to do very well with North Korea over a period of time.”

“I’m in no rush,” he added. His remarks made four total references being in “no rush” or “no hurry.”

Trump also stressed that sanctions against North Korea “are on.”

“We got our hostages back. [. . .] We’re getting the remains [of US soldiers] back. There’s been no nuclear testing whatsoever,” he continued.

“I may change. But right now, we have a good relationship,” he added, hinting that his attitude might change depending on North Korea’s future behavior.

His remarks read as signaling that he does not intend to feel pressured by the “end of the year” deadline named by North Korea in demanding a change in the US’ “calculations” concerning denuclearization and corresponding measures. Trump has maintained that there is no reason to rush as long as sanctions remain in place and North Korea’s nuclear and missile testing has been halted. Questioned by reporters the day before on the possibility of a third summit with North Korea, Trump said, “It could happen, but I want to bring it further down the line.”

The response from Trump offers evidence that the letter from Kim did not contain anything to break the current impasse between the two sides. CNN quoted a source as saying that letter did not include any concrete plans for progress in denuclearization talks or proposal for future dialogue.

The US State Department sent a message the same day stressing both a commitment to dialogue with the North and continued sanctions. Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said, “We are ready and willing to continue engagement on working-level negotiations with the North Koreans.”

“[W]hile we work towards that, economic sanctions do remain in effect,” she stressed.

The same day, Stephen Biegun, the State Department special representative for North Korea, discussed North Korea-US negotiations and their future direction at a closed-door meeting with the 15 members of the UN Security Council in New York. Noting the letter sent by Kim to Trump and the dispatching of Workers’ Party of Korea First Vice Director Kim Yo-jong to Panmunjom to offer condolences following the death of Kim Dae-jung Peace Center Chair Lee Hee-ho, Biegun reportedly referred to them as “positive signals.”

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]