North Korea ‘still willing to resolve issues’ as Donald Trump cancels meeting with Kim Jong-un

North Korea has responded to Donald Trump’s decision to cancel his summit with Kim Jong-un.

UPDATED: North Korea has responded to Donald Trump’s decision to cancel his summit with Kim Jong-un, saying Pyongyang is still willing to resolve issues with Washington.

A statement released on state news agency KNRC said the cancellation was not in line with the wishes of the world.

Kim Kye Gwan, North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister, said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency: “The abrupt announcement of the cancellation of the meeting is unexpected for us and we cannot but find it extremely regrettable.

“We again state to the US our willingness to sit face-to-face at any time in any form to resolve the problem,” Mr Kim added.

Earlier, in a stunning move Donald Trump blamed North Korea’s ‘tremendous anger and open hostility’ towards the US for his move.

Mr Trump’s decision came after North Korea issued another angry retort to the US following comments made by Vice President Mike Pence in which he warned that North Korea could end up like Libya.

“I was very much looking forward to being there with you,” Mr Trump said in an open letter released by the White House. “Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting.”

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the news was “disappointing” but cautioned that progress was always going to be slow toward a solution to the crisis on the Korean peninsular.

“It would be disappointing if the summit were not to go ahead but it seems that president trump has invited Kim Jong Un to demonstrate his commitment to the summit,” she told 2GB.

“I expect that President Trump was not satisfied that Kim was genuine when he spoke of wanting lasting peace and denuclearisation but it is incumbent on North Korea to make the sorts of commitments that demonstrate that its promise to denuclearise are real and substantive.”

Ms Bishop warned it would be a “long drawn out diplomatic process” to achieve a solution to North Korean aggression and to taming their nuclear ambitions.

“I think we need to be cautious about progress. I’ve said on many occasions we have seen false dawns on the part of North Korea in the past but made many promises and not honoured then but we can’t jump to conclusions about the next steps,” she said.

“There are a range of options from here. The cancellation of the summit doesn’t dent my resolve to continue to work towards a diplomatic solution, and the United States, Australia and the world community must continue to apply maximum diplomatic political and economic pressure until it makes concrete commitments to complete a verifiable denuclearisation.”

The two leaders, were due to meet in Singapore on June 12 in what would have been the first ever meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.

Mr Trump said the cancellation of the meeting was for the good of both parties “but to the detriment of the world.”

But Mr Trump held out the prospect of a future summit, saying: “Someday I look forward very much to meeting you.

“If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write.”

Speaking later, Mr Trump said it was still possible that the existing summit scheduled for June 12 could take place.

“A lot of things can happen...it’s possible that the existing summit could take place or a summit at some later date. Nobody should be anxious. We have to get it right.

“Hopefully positive things will be taking place with respect to the future of North Korea but if they don’t we are more ready than we have ever been before.”

In his letter to Mr Kim, the president said: “The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”

Mr Trump lost patience with Mr Kim after a North Korean official was quoted Thursday as saying it would have second thoughts about the summit if the US kept making critical statements about North Korea.

The official, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, described as “ignorant and stupid” comments made by Mr Pence in an interview on Fox News on Monday.

She accused the Vice President of making ‘unbridled and impudent remarks that North Korea might end up like Libya.’

Ms Choe also referred to unspecified “unlawful and outrageous acts” by top American officials.

The attack was the second by North Korea in a week and was the final straw for the White House. The summit had increasingly been in doubt after North Korea last week threatened to pull out over comments made by Mr Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton.

Mr Bolton, like Mr Pence, had drawn comparisons between North Korea and Libya. In 2003 Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi traded his nuclear weapons program for the lifting of economic sanctions. But Pyongyang did not like the comparison because Gaddafi was overthrown and killed eight years later.

Mr Trump had reportedly been having second thoughts about the meeting over the weekend after North Korea’s initial threat to withdraw last week. The president feared he might not achieve a meaningful outcome and that he would risk losing face on the world stage if the much hyped summit failed to deliver a deal on denuclearizing North Korea.

In his letter to the North Korean leader, Mr Trump said the US “greatly appreciates your time, patience and effort” over the negotiations for the summit and pointed out that the meeting was initiated by North Korea, although he also said that fact was “totally irrelevant” to the US.

“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me and ultimately it is only that dialogue that matters,” he wrote.

The president thanked Mr Kim for the recent released of three US hostages from North Korea. “That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated,” Mr Trump said.

But Mr Trump also made it clear that the US policy of maximum pressure against the regime would continue. He said the US was willing to defend itself against the regime if Mr Kim wanted to react with hostility to the decision to cancel the summit.

“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful and I pray to God I hope they will not have to be used,” Mr Trump wrote.

Later he said: “Our military - which is by far the most powerful anywhere in the world and has been greatly enhanced recently - is ready if necessary.”

He said South Korea and Japan were also ready to shoulder the financial burden and other costs of confrontation with North Korea “if such an unfortunate situation is forced upon us.”

Mr Trump said Mr Kim had the opportunity to make his country wealthy and relieve the suffering of his people.

“North Korea has the opportunity to end decades of poverty and oppression...and I hope that Kim Jong UN will ultimately do what is right not only for himself but, perhaps most importantly, what is right for his people who are suffering greatly and needlessly.’

The Trump administration had shown a more flexible approach to its demands on denuclearization in recent days, saying it wanted to see the beginning of a process for North Korea to get rid of nuclear weapons. This contrasted with its more strident demand previously for an immediate destruction of the country’s nuclear weapons and its nuclear program.