June 12, 2018 will be the day the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader happened. Following a landmark Summit held in Singapore, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have signed a joint statement. The Summit focused on nuclear disarmament and reducing tensions, in order to establish new relations between the two countries « for peace and prosperity ». According to the joint statement, the two countries would co-operate to create « new relations », with the US providing « security guarantees » to North Korea.
Following the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un reaffirmed their commitment to work « toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula ». The US president also announced that he would end joint military exercises with South Korea. However, some observers say the document lacks substance, especially on how denuclearisation would be achieved technically. The two leaders committed to hold negotiations, led by the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and a a North-Korean official, in order to implement the outcomes of this historic summit.
Marie Peschier
For further information:
- BBC « Trump Kim summit: US president hails deal after historic talks » (12.06.2018) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44450739
- Le Monde « Ce qu’il faut retenir des annonces de Donald Trump et Kim Jong-un à Singapour » https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2018/06/12/ce-qu-il-faut-retenir-des-annonces-de-donald-trump-et-kim-jong-un-a-singapour_5313595_3210.html
- CNN « Trump’s North Korean gamble ends with ‘special bond’ with Kim » https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/11/politics/trump-kim-summit-singapore/index.html
