Photo: Dan Scavino Jr./Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump pulled off a huge foreign policy breakthrough by striking a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in their Singapore summit under which Pyongyang has committed to “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for Washington’s cooperative ties.
As part of the deal, the U.S. President committed to provide security guarantees to the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea – fulfilling a pressing North Korean demand.
A joint statement issued at the conclusion of the much-anticipated summit called the meeting – the first in history – “an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future.”
The meeting attracted much worldwide attention as it came on the heels of the G7 Summit of rich nations, where President Trump categorically committed to his fair trade agenda and openly expressed differences with long time Western allies including neighboring Canada.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2018
Regional leaders have welcomed the breakthrough, which not too long ago was considered almost unthinkable given the history of past seven decades.
Meanwhile, Democrats have criticized Trump for showering lavish praise on Kim, whose country has remained a virtual pariah in the international community with allegations of massive human rights violations.
Photo: Dan Scavino Jr. /Wikimedia
Here is the June 12, 2018 joint statement as released by the White House at the conclusion of the Singapore summit:
“President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a first, historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018.
President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.–DPRK relations and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.–DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:
- The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.–DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.
- The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
- Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
- The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.
Having acknowledged that the U.S.–DPRK summit—the first in history—was an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously. The United States and the DPRK commit to hold follow-on negotiations, led by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and a relevant high-level DPRK official, at the earliest possible date, to implement the outcomes of the U.S.–DPRK summit.
President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have committed to cooperate for the development of new U.S.–DPRK relations and for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and security of the Korean Peninsula and of the world.”
