High-ranking North Korean official Kim Yong Chol is expected to travel to the White House Friday to deliver a personal letter to President Trump from North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

President Trump told reporters Thursday afternoon that negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang are still ongoing. He has not yet recommitted to the once highly touted Trump-Kim summit, which was initially scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.

The president’s comments followed talks in New York City between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the North Korean delegation, which was led by Kim Yong Chol.

In addition to being Kim Jong Un’s de facto chief diplomat, Kim Yong Chol has held a variety of prominent roles within the Pyongyang regime. For more on the infamous North Korean official who is in the United States this week, read my Tuesday piece at Conservative Review.

A day after President Donald Trump sent a letter to Kim Jong Un outlining his intention to withdraw from a planned summit in Singapore on June 12, North Korea has made overtures to try to keep the summit moving forward. According to Defense Secretary James Mattis, the meeting may be "back on."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a Senate panel yesterday that North Korea had gone silent on negotiations for the summit. Pompeo told the senators that the U.S. is willing to come back to the negotiating table if North Korea is willing. On Friday, it seemed that tensions were thawing.

Late Thursday, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan said, "We express our willingness to sit down face-to-face with the U.S. and resolve issues anytime and in any format."

In a tweet Friday morning, Trump signaled he was encouraged by the overture.

Trump also blamed Democrats for "rooting against us in our negotiations with North Korea."

When asked about the summit on Friday, Secretary Mattis told reporters, "We have got some, possibly some good news on the Korea summit, where it may, if our diplomats can pull it off, may have it back on even." Mattis added, "Our president just sent out a note about that a few moments ago...That is a usual give and take, you know, of trying to put together big summits and stuff."

Many Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi hit the president for his letter yesterday. Pelosi said the letter must have sent Kim Jong Un into a "giggle fit."

If the summit goes forward, does that mean Donald Trump will have the last laugh?