President Trump's plan to meet Kim Jong Un shows control: W.H
The White House on Friday painted President Trump’s decision to sit down with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as a sign of control, not compromise.
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the in-the-works meeting between the two leaders is validation of the administration’s hard-line approach to the rogue nation.
A mix of sanctions and Trump’s combative rhetoric have hammered Kim’s government into discussing “denuclearization,” Sanders said.
“Again this meeting won’t take place without concrete actions that match the promises that have been made by North Korea,” she added.
NEW YEARS DAY MISSILE LAUNCH
On January 1, 2017, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un warned that an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was in the 'final stages' of development.
The nation said it could conduct a missile test-launch 'anytime and anywhere'.
On February 12, North Korea tested a ballistic missile, but it didn't appear to be an ICBM due to its flight range.
NUCLEAR CRISIS AT MAR-A-LAGO
President Trump was at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago having dinner with Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe when news broke that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile on February 12.
The president sparked controversy by reportedly discussing the event in front of Mar-a-Lago diners while continuing his meal with the Japanese leader and other guests.
'MERCILESS' STRIKES
On March 5, North Korea sent an inflammatory message to the U.S. by firing four ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan.
The U.S. deployed an anti-missile system in South Korea the following day.
In response, North Korea warned of 'merciless' strikes against the U.S.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said military action against Pyongyang was 'on the table' and Trump tweeted that the nation is 'behaving very badly.'
COVERT PHOTO OF TILLERSON
During a visit to North Korea's border on March 17, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was unwittingly photographed by a North Korean soldier, who can be seen peering into the room on the right side of the image.
The next day, Rex Tillerson said the threat of North Korea is 'imminent.'
BOLD MISSILE STRIKE
North Korea tested another ballistic missile shortly before President Trump's planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 5.
Rex Tillerson responded by saying the U.S. 'has spoken enough.' Trump later said the nation 'is looking for trouble.'
The U.S. military warned it was 'prepared to launch a preemptive strike' against North Korea if there were signs the country was planning to test a nuclear weapon.
POLL SHOWS US CONCERNS
A poll conducted by CBS News in April showed that more than half of Americans said they were 'uneasy' about President Trump's ability to deal with North Korea.
FAILED MISSILE TEST
North Korea celebrated the 105th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth, North Korea's founder, by unveiling powerful new missiles in April.
The next day, a North Korean missile 'blew up' just a few hours before Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea for a diplomatic trip.
TENSE BACK-AND-FORTH
On April 27, North Korea released a video showing a simulation of a White House attack.
President Trump responded by saying a 'major, major conflict' with North Korea was 'absolutely' possible.
The next day, Pyongyang unsuccessfully test-fired another ballistic missile in an act of bold defiance against international pressure to curb its nuclear program.
'PRETTY SMART COOKIE'
President Trump called North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un 'a pretty smart cookie' in an interview that went viral on April 30.
'At a very young age, he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie,' Trump told CBS News.
The president also said he'd be 'honored' to meet with the North Korean leader.
KIM JONG UN'S LETTER TO CONGRESS
In early May, North Korea said it would continue its nuclear weapons tests and boost force 'to the maximum' in a stark warning to the U.S.
Pyongyang also condemned President Trump for directing the peninsula to the 'brink of nuclear war.'
Soon after, North Korea sent a rare letter to the U.S. House of Representatives to protest tougher sanctions on the nation.
TRUMP GETS HEAT AT HOME
In Washington, Trump was met with criticism from several lawmakers over his handling of North Korea.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sounded off on the issue, saying Trump 'can't meet with Kim Jong Un' as he'd discussed.
MISSILE TEST CONFIRMS ADVANCEMENT
On May 13, North Korea carried out another ballistic missile test-launch, which landed in the sea near Russia.
Pyongyang said the launch was aimed at confirming the country could carry large nuclear warheads, signaling an advancement in their development.
'MADMAN' LEAK
In late May, a transcript of a phone call between President Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was leaked to the public.
The transcript showed President Trump call North Korea's leader a 'madman with nuclear weapons' who could not be let on the loose.
'BIGGER GIFT PACKAGE' FOR US
As tensions continued to ramp up in May, North Korea launched another ballistic missile test and warned the U.S. of a 'bigger gift package' in the future.
The U.S. responded by issuing new sanctions on Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, experts cautioned that the U.S. 'may not be able to stop' the threat of North Korean nuclear missiles.
US PREPARES FOR NUCLEAR THREAT
Several states began to carry out nuclear attack drills to prepare for potential threats.
New York City set up a triage simulation at MetLife Stadium and Hawaii's government called for school evacuation drills.
DENNIS RODMAN VISITS PYONGYANG
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea in June.
'I'm just trying to open the door,' he told reporters. 'My purpose is to actually to see if I can keep bringing sports to North Korea, so that's the main thing.'
OTTO WARMBIER
Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student from suburban Cincinnati, was released from North Korean custody on June 13.
Warmbier had been imprisoned in North Korea since early 2016 after he was accused of trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel while visiting the country as a tourist.
After the announcement of his release, Warmbier was photographed comatose and being carried off a plane with a tube in his nose. It was discovered that he had been in a coma for the past year.
North Korean officials said he got botulism and was given a sleeping pill, but never woke up.
Warmbier's father said his son suffered a serious neurological injury was 'brutalized.'
Otto Warmbier died on June 19 from lack of oxygen and blood to the brain, according to a U.S. coroner.
TRADING INSULTS
President Trump tweeted in June that diplomacy 'has not worked out' with North Korea, suggesting a potential change in policy.
Pyongyang called Trump a 'psychopath' two days later.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF ICBM
On July 4, North Korea successfully test-launched an ICBM for the first time ever. The missile flew a trajectory that could hit Alaska.
President Trump responded via Twitter: 'North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?...'
The president later vowed to 'confront very strongly' the issue of North Korea's 'very, very bad behavior.'
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said North Korea's actions were 'quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution' and that the United States was prepared to use force 'if we must.'
'PILE OF ASH'
In a bold statement, North Korea threatened to turn the U.S. into a 'pile of ash' on July 12.
US THREATENED WITH 'MERCILESS BLOW'
On July 27, a North Korean spokesperson said, 'Should the U.S. dare to show even the slightest sign of attempt to remove our supreme leadership, we will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the U.S. with our powerful nuclear hammer, honed and hardened over time.'
The following day, North Korea fired a missile in an unusual late-night test-launch.
MISSILE LAUNCH BROKE RECORD
The Pentagon reported that North Korea's latest ICBM launch on July 28 was the longest test in their history.
The U.S. responded by successfully test-launching an ICBM from California.
The U.S. also issued a ban on American passport holders traveling to North Korea that took effect on September 1.
TRUMP WARNS OF 'FIRE AND FURY'
In early August, President Trump warned that North Korea would be met with 'fire and fury' if it continued to threaten the United States.
In response, North Korea said it was considering a missile strike on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
POLL SHOWS US VIEW OF THREAT
A CNN poll in August showed that most Americans saw North Korea as a 'very serious threat' at that point.
US TOLD TO 'ACT PROPERLY'
President Trump said the U.S. military was 'locked and loaded' in a series of new threats against Pyongyang.
North Korea responded by saying, 'If the Trump administration does not want the American empire to meet its tragic doom..., they had better talk and act properly.'
MISSILE FLIES NEAR JAPAN
On August 29, North Korea fired a missile over Japan that landed in waters near the country, marking a major escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
After the missile launch, President Trump said 'all options are on the table.'
'ASHES AND DARKNESS'
After Pyongyang conducted its biggest missile test to date on August 29, one of its top diplomats said it was ready to send 'more gift packages' to the United States.
North Korea later threatened to 'sink' Japan and reduce the United States to 'ashes and darkness.'
On September 15, North Korea carried out another missile test-launch.
'ROCKET MAN'
President Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 'rocket man' twice, first during an address before the U.N. General Assembly in September and again on Twitter:
'I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!'
Trump claimed the nickname was meant to be a compliment.
'DOTARD'
Kim Jong Un called President Trump 'mentally deranged' and said he would 'totally destroy' the U.S. after he was dubbed 'rocket man' in a U.N. speech.
The North Korean leader also slammed President Trump as 'a frightened dog,' a 'dotard' and 'gangster fond of playing with fire' in a statement released on September 22.
TRUMP VISITS ASIA
President Trump brought up North Korea during a trip to Japan in November, saying 'no dictator' should underestimate the U.S.
Trump's planned visit to the DMZ was canceled due to weather.
TRUMP CALLED 'OLD' BY KIM JONG UN
On November 11, President Trump posted a tweet:
'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!'
NOVEMBER MISSILE LAUNCH
North Korea fired what is believed to be an ICBM on November 28 that landed near Japan.
Trump responded by saying, 'It is a situation that we will handle.'
A North Korean official said the U.S. was 'begging for nuclear war' and participating in an 'extremely dangerous nuclear gamble.'
See Gallery
No U.S. President has ever met with a North Korean leader.
But critics are wary of the idea of a face-to-face, fearing it gives Kim exactly what he wants — legitimacy.
“To be clear — we need to talk to North Korea. But Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Korea's weapons,” tweeted Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal.”
Asked if Trump believes Kim is sincere about scaling back the country’s nuclear and missile programs, Sanders said he is “hopeful.”
Trump is getting “exactly what he wants,” she said.
South Korean officials, briefing Trump at the White House on Thursday following a recent meeting with Kim in Pyongyang, told White House officials that the North Korean leader expressed a commitment to denuclearization.
Kim also pledged to halt nuclear and missile testing, but said his main interest was meeting Trump.
The meeting is a stark reversal from the war of words the two men exchanged as North Korea ramped up its missile tests during Trump’s first year in Washington, fueling fears of war.
Pyongyang repeatedly threatened to fire rockets at the U.S. territory of Guam and continues to condemn joint military exercises by the U.S and South Korea.
See Gallery
Administration officials pushed back against the idea that Trump has given in to the fancies of a small-time tyrant with a growing nuclear arsenal.
“Let’s be very clear. The United States has made zero concessions, but North Korea has made some promises,” Sanders said.
White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said Trump had discussed his decision with a “handful” of lawmakers, but wouldn’t reveal names. Short said the administration was cautious about the meeting, but Congress was responding with “excitement and encouragement.”
But aides described the decision as a personal, impulsive move made by the President alone, according to the Financial Times.
Sanders said if there was anyone was responsible for legitimizing North Korea it was the media, whom she mocked for coverage of Kim’s sister’s appearance at the recent Olympic games in South Korea.
“I think that is actually what put North Korea on a similar stage,” she said. “No action by this administration has even remotely demonstrated a level of rise that the media did during the Olympics and through some of those stories.”
See Gallery
The UN said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “encouraged” by the announcement of an upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit and “commends the leadership and vision of all concerned.”
Gutteres “reiterates his support for all efforts towards peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
With News Wire Services
More from New York Daily News:
Justice Anthony Kennedy will retire this summer, GOP senator says
Experts worry President Trump will blow key meeting with Kim Jong Un
US issues alarming warning for travel to popular Mexican tourist city
