N. Korean media looks on bright side of Kim-Trump meet

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - North Korea's state-run media has tried to make the most of their leader's summit meeting with the U.S. president which they cut short after failing to produce a deal.

"They had a constructive and candid exchange of their opinions over the practical issues," North's official news agency, Korean Central News Agency said.

The summit in Hanoi between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un unexpectedly ended early Thursday, with the U.S. president saying he could not agree to the North’s request for a complete lifting of sanctions.

"Sometimes we have to walk away," Trump said about leaving the summit session half-way. "And we decided not to sign anything today."

Trump and Kim met for the second time in Vietnamese capital on Wednesday and Thursday to strike a deal.

The KCNA said that the two leaders shared "common understanding that the efforts made by the two sides and proactive measures taken by them to defuse tensions and preserve peace on the Korean peninsula and completely denuclearize it were of great significance in building mutual trust and making a fundamental turn in the decades-long bilateral relations characterized by mistrust and antagonism”.

UN slapped sanctions on North Korea in 2006 after Pyongyang test-fired its nuclear arsenal. While Trump has been pushing on denuclearization, Kim has been insisting on lifting of sanctions "to build trust".