U.S. President Donald Trump touted Vietnam as an economic model for what could happen to North Korea should it give up its nuclear weapons. 

Trump held bilateral talks with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong on Wednesday, hours before he was due to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and said that North Korea could rapidly become a great economic power.

[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump]
"...Vietnam is thriving and very importantly we have a very big dinner tonight, as you know, and meetings, with North Korea and Chairman Kim and we both felt very good about having this very important summit in Vietnam because you really are an example as to what can happen with good thinking..."

Trump's second summit with Kim is scheduled to start Wednesday evening with an informal one-on-one meeting and a private dinner, prior to Thursday's more formally structured discussions.

[Photo : YONHAP News]