By Lee Hana

U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that the U.S. will not be applying the so-called "Libyan model" to North Korea, and that it would guarantee the security of Pyeongyang's regime.

President Trump, following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on May 17, said that, "The Libyan model isn't a model that we have when we're thinking of North Korea."

In terms of security guarantees, the president said he thinks he and Kim Jong Un "will actually have a good relationship," adding that should the meeting happen, and should something come of it, "Kim would get protections that would be very strong."

President Trump also said that under the deal he would strike with North Korea, "Kim Jong Un would be in his country, running it, and that his country would be very rich, and his people tremendously industrious." He added that the Libyan model could take place if the two sides couldn't make a deal, but if they did, he said, "I think Kim Jong Un is going to be very, very happy."

The same day, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders gave a press briefing and stated that in terms of the planned U.S.-North Korea summit, the U.S. was continuing to move forward with preparations.

"President Trump is prepared and will be ready to meet, and if the North Koreans want to meet, we'll be there. Nothing has changed on our end. This was an invitation that North Korea offered and that we've accepted, and we're continuing to move forward," said Sanders.

Previously, on May 16, North Korea threatened to cancel next month's summit over the U.S.'s push for unilateral denuclearization.

hlee10@korea.kr