Getty President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met face-to-face Tuesday morning for their highly anticipated, historic summit.
President Trump declared the historic Singapore summit a “success” after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un early Tuesday. According to CBS News, Trump and Kim were able to come to an understanding that “Pyongyang would work toward denuclearization and the United States would end joint military exercises with South Korea.” Trump and Kim both signed a document agreeing to a handful of key provisions, CBS reports.
According to the New York Times, Trump and Kim met privately for less than an hour in a one-on-one session Tuesday morning in Singapore, then broke off for a larger meeting before a lunch conference with aides.
SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: In this handout photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) meets U.S. President Donald Trump during their historic U.S.-DPRK summit at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island on June 12, 2018 in Singapore. (Photo by Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES/Handout/Getty Images)
Trump said at a rare news conference following the summit that the United States would stop “the war games,” and that the exercises were expensive and “very provocative.” In their joint statement, the United States “committed to provide security guarantees.” In exchange, Kim “reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
“We had a historic meeting and decided to leave the past behind,” Kim said as he and Trump signed the joint statement, adding, “The world will see a major change.”
Trump was also optimistic about the progress they achieved, stating, “We are going to take care of a very big and very dangerous problem for the world.”
SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: In this handout photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during their historic U.S.-DPRK summit at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island on June 12, 2018 in Singapore. (Photo by Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES/Handout/Getty Images)
Trump claimed that the summit went “better than anybody would have expected,” that Kim had a great personality, and that he looked forward to inviting Kim to the White House.
“The old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward, but we overcame all of it and we are here today,” Kim said after the summit.
However, CBS reports that the United States and North Korea did not reach any specific agreement on how North Korea will achieve denuclearization. In a rare news conference after the summit, Trump stated that the U.S. will be “verifying,” that North Korea follows through. Check out video of the news conference below.
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: (Photo by Kevin Lim/The Strait Times/Handout/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: (Photo by Kevin Lim/The Strait Times/Handout/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: (Photo by Kevin Lim/The Strait Times/Handout/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: (Photo by Kevin Lim/The Strait Times/Handout/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: (Photo by Kevin Lim/The Strait Times/Handout/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: (Photo by Kevin Lim/The Strait Times/Handout/Getty Images)
New York Magazine reports: “When questioned on his repeated praise for Kim, and failure to address North Korean human rights abuses that led to the death of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier and many others, Trump defended his remarks, saying Kim’s rise to power shows he’s “very talented.” He also said “Otto did not die in vain,” claiming his death is what sparked the summit.”
The joint statement that both leaders signed said the two nations would hold “follow-on negotiations” between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a high-level North Korean official “at the earliest possible date, to implement the outcomes” of the summit meeting.
ZOOM IN ON THE TEXT: “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.”
Trump closed the press conference by saying he and Kim will “probably need another summit” to discuss North Korea’s plans for denuclearization, though “we’re much further along than I would have thought.”
‘Alpha male’ handshakes when Trump and Kim first met, but body language showed some anxiety t.co/D33s8kOGYB Live coverage of the #TrumpKimSummit: t.co/k4TWHfU805
Analysis: The handshakes were historic. The words? Not so much. t.co/sk3049xjp4 #TrumpKimSummit #TrumpKimMeeting (Photos: AFP/Getty Images, AP)
