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| US President Donald Trump & Kim Jong Un conclude historic summit | | | |  Washington 12 June,2018(Agencies)
After a historic conclusion to the summit with Kim Jong-Un, President Donald Trump left for the United States of America. His departure was ahead of what was scheduled earlier.
Curious onlookers in Singapore also lined up at the streets to click pictures of Kim Jong Un's entourage making its way to the Changi airport. Kim's car had the North Korean flag fluttering on it as the leader headed back home.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday agreed to work toward "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" in return for security guarantees from the US as Donald Trump wrapped up his historic summit which he described as "honest, direct and productive."
Trump also said that the US would end joint military exercises with South Korea, fulfilling a major demand by North Korea that has long claimed they are invasion rehearsals. The president, however, said the sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear tests will remain for now.
Trump and Kim conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new relations between the two countries and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, according to a joint statement signed by Trump and Kim at the end of the summit.
"President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), and Chairman Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the statement read.
It said the two sides committed to recovering POW/MIA (prisoners of war and missing in action) remains including the immediate repatriation of those already identified. The document was signed after the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting, with translators only, followed by an expanded meeting including their top aides and a working lunch at Capella Singapore hotel in Sentosa Island after months of diplomatic twists and turns.
"We signed a joint statement that is an unwavering commitment to complete denuclearisation of North Korea," Trump told reporters after the summit - the first between a sitting US president and North Korea's top leader. He said the US is 'prepared to start a new history' with North Korea. "Kim told me that North Korea has already destroyed a major missile engine testing site," he said, without elaborating on it.
In response to a question about denuclearisation, Trump said, "We're starting that process... very quickly." Trump said there will be a meeting next week to go over the details of the denuclearisation process. "We are working with the regional countries on getting this deal going. We are sitting with John Bolton next week to go over the details, to get this stuff done. We are working with South Korea, Japan, China to a lesser extent," he said, while addressing an hour-long press conference.
Trump, however, said the US sanctions would remain in place until Washington had seen progress. When asked about North Korea's future economic model, Trump said it is for the country and its people to decide. He pointed out the real estate potential of its "great beaches" which can be seen on missile test footage. Earlier, Trump said the summit went "better than anybody could have expected." "We have decided to leave the past behind," Kim said through a translator, after signing the statement.
US to stop 'war games' with South Korea: Trump
President Donald Trump has said that the US will stop conducting military drills on the Korean peninsula, after his historic summit. "We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters, adding he had agreed to stop the "war games" because he considers them "very provocative".
The US president also said he wants to withdraw American troops stationed in South Korea, like he had promised during his election campaign. "I want to get our soldiers out. I want to bring our soldiers back home," Trump said, adding "But that's not part of the equation right now. I hope it will be eventually". Trump's assertions could alarm South Korean conservatives who have urged him not to jeopardise their country's security.
The US and South Korea are security allies, with about 30,000 American troops based in country to defend it from its northern neighbour, which launched an invasion in 1950. They hold joint military exercises every year that anger North Korea which has long demanded an end to the drills and frequently responds with volatile steps of its own, leading to a spike in tensions.
"I think it's very provocative. Under the circumstances we are negotiating a complete deal," Trump said, adding "It is inappropriate to have war games. Number one, we save money. A lot. Number two, it is really something they very much appreciated".
The move appears to be based on the 'freeze for freeze' proposal mooted by China, under which North Korea would stop nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a halt to the military exercises. Kim has earlier declared a moratorium on testing, saying North Korea has completely developed its nuclear arsenal.
"The world will see a major change," he added. Trump said he was very proud of what took place today and the two leaders would "take care of a very dangerous problem for the world." The 71-year-old Trump said the summit worked out far better than expected and he's developed a "very special bond" with 34-year-old Kim.
Trump said Kim is "a very talented man" and he will invite him to the White House at the "appropriate time", and he will also travel to Pyongyang at a certain time. Earlier this morning, the summit began with the two leaders arriving separately at the luxurious hotel. They walked towards each other, stood face to face for the first time and shared a 12-second handshake against a backdrop of American and North Korean flags. They then appeared to share a few light-hearted words as they walked down a corridor to the hotel's library.
In brief remarks to the media before the start of their meeting, Trump hoped that the historic summit would be "tremendously successful." Kim then said there were a number of "obstacles" to the meeting taking place in Singapore today. "We overcame all of them and we are here today," he told reporters through a translator. Trump responded, "Thank you very much". The two leaders held one-on-one meeting for around 45-minutes with just translators present.
According to North Korean media, Kim actually arrived at the venue 7 minutes earlier than Trump to show respect as it's cultural, the young one should arrive earlier than the elder one. The red tie that Trump wears may also show some respect to Kim as well, it's the colour that North Koreans like. Later, they held delegation-level talks.
Kim was asked at least three times if he would give up his nuclear weapons. In response, he just smiled. "There will be challenges ahead but we will work with Trump. We overcame all kinds of skepticism and speculation about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace," Kim said.
After the delegation-level meeting, Trump joined Kim for a working lunch which had a mix of Western and Asian dishes, such as Korean stuffed cucumber and beef short rib confit with some Haagen-Dazs ice cream to top things off. The two leaders then took a post-lunch stroll in the courtyard of the hotel. On the eve of the summit at Sentosa, the US had offered "unique" security guarantees to North Korea in return for a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearisation. | | | | |
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