The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Korean leaders agree to make the peninsula ‘a land of peace’
North agrees to raft of measures designed to ease tensions
The leader of North Korea has agreed to dismantle his main nuclear complex – but only if the United States does the same.
Kim Jong Un agreed on the second day of meetings with his South Korean counterpart President Moon Jae-in on an ambitious programme meant to tackle soaring tensions between the two countries last year.
Mr Kim promised to accept international inspectors to monitor the closing of a key missile test site and launch pad and to visit Seoul soon and both leaders vowed to work together to try to host the Summer Olympics in 2032.
However, their joint statement appeared to fall short of the major steps many in Washington have been looking for.
US President Donald Trump, described the Korean leaders’ agreements as “Very exciting!” in a tweet.
Mr Moon and Mr Kim stood side by side as they announced the joint statement to a group of North and South Korean reporters after a closed-door meeting.
“We have agreed to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace that is free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threat,” Mr Kim said.
“The road to our future will not always be smooth and we may face challenges and trials we can’t anticipate. But we aren’t afraid of headwinds because our strength will grow as we overcome each trial based on the strength of our nation.”