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The White House is still planning to send a team to Singapore in case a summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un happens after all.
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White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that a “pre-advance team for Singapore will leave as scheduled in order to prepare should the summit take place.”
The statement comes after news of a surprise meeting Saturday morning between Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss a potential summit between the North Korean leader and Trump.
The Presidential Blue House/Handout via ReutersTrump announced earlier this week that he was canceling the planned June 12 summit with Kim. But on Friday evening the president tweeted that the summit could still happen on that date.
We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th., and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2018
The last time two weeks ago that a White House delegation traveled in advance of the planned summit they were stood up by their North Korean counterparts.
Dong-A Ilbo/South Korea Blue House/Handout/AFP/Getty ImagesThe surprise meeting between the North and South Korean leaders on Saturday in a village on the north side of their shared border was to exchange opinions about holding a successful summit between Kim and President Trump and on how to implement steps that Kim and Moon agreed to in their last meeting on April 27.
It is unknown whether North Korea requested the meeting first, but sources told ABC News it was arranged in the morning. Moon is to announce details of the meeting at a press conference on Sunday, according to the South Korean president’s office.
The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment on the meeting.
Evan Vucci/APAt the Saturday meeting, Kim was with his sister Kim Yo-jong and his top aide Kim Yong chol in charge of inter-Korean affairs. Moon was accompanied by South Korea’s national intelligence service chief, Suh Hoon.
ABC News’ Kate Lee and Nataly Pak contributed to this report.
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