International

Trump letter hand delivered to Kim: report

A letter from President Trump was delivered to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the weekend as talks to plan a second summit between the two leaders continue, CNN reported Monday.

The news outlet reported that the letter was flown to Pyongyang and delivered by hand. North Korea’s former spy chief, Kim Yong Chol, could reportedly travel to Washington as early as this week to work out final details of a second Trump-Kim summit, CNN said.

North Korean and U.S. officials have reportedly met multiple times in Vietnam in recent weeks to discuss the location of a second summit.

{mosads}Trump told reporters earlier this month that the two sides were “negotiating a location” for a follow-up meeting. He has in recent weeks described letters he’s received from Kim.

Trump and Kim have exchanged letters in recent months amid budding diplomatic relations between the two countries. The president said last year that Kim sends him “beautiful letters,” and that the two “fell in love.”

Trump has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle for his glowing praise of the North Korean strongman, who is accused of numerous human rights violations.

The president has touted denuclearization negotiations with North Korea and the halting of test missile launches as a point of success on foreign policy, though critics have noted that Kim has yet to formally commit to abandoning his nuclear arsenal.

In a New Year’s Day address, Kim warned that North Korea would have to seek a “new path” if the U.S. moves forward with sanctions over Pyongyang’s weapons program.