‘A good prelude to peace’
Washington to guarantee Pyongyang’s security
UNITED States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged yesterday to work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, while Washington committed to provide security guarantees for its old enemy.
“President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK and Chairman Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” said a joint statement issued after their historic summit here.
Trump said he expected the denuclearisation process to start “very, very quickly”. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean officials would hold negotiations “at the earliest possible date”, the statement said.
It, however, did not give any details on how denuclearisation would be achieved. The document also made no mention of the international sanctions that have crippled North Korea’s economy, for pursuing its nuclear weapons programme.
But the joint statement did say the two sides had agreed to recovering the remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action and repatriating them.
If the joint statement does lead to a lasting detente, it could fundamentally change the security landscape of Northeast Asia, just as former US president Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing in 1972 led to the transformation of China.
Before signing what Trump described as a “comprehensive” document, Jong-un said the two leaders had a historic meeting “and decided to leave the past behind. The world will see a major change”.
Trump said he had formed a “very special bond” with Kim and that relationship with North Korea would be very different.
“People are going to be impressed and are going to be very happy, and we are going to take care of a very dangerous problem for the world,” Trump said.
Asked whether he would invite Kim to the White House, Trump said: “Absolutely, I will.”
He called Jong-un “very smart” and a “very worthy, very hard negotiator”.
“I learned he’s a very talented man. I also learned that he loves his country very much.”
During a post-lunch stroll through the gardens of the Singapore hotel where the summit was held, Trump said the meeting had gone “better than anybody could have expected”.
Jong-un stood silently alongside, but the North Korean leader had earlier described their summit as a “a good prelude to peace”.
Both men walked to Trump’s bullet-proof limousine, nicknamed “The Beast”, and looked in the rear seat, with Trump showing Jong-un something inside. They then resumed their walk.
They had appeared cautious and serious when they first arrived for the summit at the Capella hotel on Sentosa island.
But, with cameras of the world’s press trained on them, they displayed an initial atmosphere of bonhomie as they met on the verandah of the Capella, a refurbished 19th century British regimental officers’ mess.
After a handshake, they were soon smiling and holding each other by the arm, before Trump guided Jong-un to the library where they held a meeting with only their interpreters.
Inside, they sat alongside each other against a backdrop of North Korean and US flags, with Jongun beaming broadly as the US president gave him a thumbs up.
After initial exchanges lasting 40 minutes, Trump and Jong-un emerged, walking side-by-side through the colonnaded hotel before entering a meeting room.
Jong-un was heard telling Trump through a translator: “I think the entire world is watching this moment. Many people in the world will think of this as a scene from a fantasy... science fiction movie.”
As the two leaders met, Singapore navy vessels, and air force Apache helicopters patrolled, while fighter-jets and an Gulfstream 550 early warning aircraft circled.
After the meetings, the two teams and other senior officials met for a working lunch, where beef short ribs, sweet and sour pork and Daegu Jormin, or Korean braised cod, were served.
That was to be followed by dark chocolate tarts, pastries and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Jong-un’s sister and close confidante, Yo-jong, was among the lunch party.
As the cameras captured the moment, Trump quipped: “Very nice. Getting a good picture everyone, so we all look nice and handsome and thin... perfect.” Page 1 pic: United States President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un meeting for the first time in Singapore yesterday.