Summit could be delayed

♦ Trump again says north korea's attitude changed after meeting with China leader

♦ US VP warns kim over fooling trump

US President Donald Trump yesterday warned his landmark summit with Kim Jong Un may not take place as planned, but stressed he believes the inscrutable North Korean leader is "serious" about denuclearization.

Hosting South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House, Trump did little to quell speculation about the historic first summit between US and North Korean leaders, set for next month in Singapore.

"It may not work out for June 12," Trump said, adding in a now familiar non-committal riff, "if it does not happen, maybe it will happen later."

Politically, Trump has invested heavily in the success of the summit, and so privately most US officials, as well as outside observers believe it will go ahead.

But as the date draws near, differences between the two sides and the astronomically high stakes are coming into sharp relief.

Success could lead to peace on the Korean peninsula and end the threat of nuclear war. Failure could all but destroy hopes of a peaceful solution to the crisis.

"You never know about deals," Trump said. "I've made a lot of deals. You never really know."

North Korea's willingness to denuclearize was plunged into doubt this month when the government denounced US demands for "unilateral nuclear abandonment."

South Korea -- deeply worried about Kim's bellicose weapons testing and Trump's similarly bellicose warnings about "fire and fury" -- was instrumental in convincing the two Cold War foes to sit down and talk.

"There was a difference when Kim Jong Un left China the second time," Trump said. "There was a different attitude after that meeting and I was a little surprised. And I think things changed after that meeting so I can't say that I am happy about it."

On Monday, US Vice-President Mike Pence warned North Korea's Kim Jong-un not to "play" Trump if they meet next month.

Pence said in a Fox News interview that such a move would be a "great mistake" by the North Korean leader.