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The June 12 Trump-Kim Jong-un Summit

Via EveryCRSReport.com: The June 12 Trump-Kim Jong-un Summit – June 12, 2018

“On June 12, 2018, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in Singapore to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program, building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and the future of U.S. relations with North Korea (known officially as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK). During their summit, the first-ever meeting between leaders of the two countries, Trump and Kim issued a brief joint statement in which Trump “committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK,” and Kim “reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” The Singapore document is shorter on details than previous nuclear agreements with North Korea and acts as a statement of principles in four areas:

  • Normalization: The two sides “commit to establish” new bilateral relations.
  • Peace: The U.S. and DPRK agree to work to build “a lasting and stable peace regime.”
  • Denuclearization: North Korea “commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” as was also promised in an April 2018 summit between Kim and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in.
  • POW/MIA remains: The two sides will work to recover the remains of thousands of U.S. troops unaccounted for during the Korean War.

Speaking at a press conference without Kim after the summit, Trump said:

  • U.S.-DPRK denuclearization negotiations would continue and resume at an early date;
  • Kim pledged to destroy a “major missile engine testing site;”
  • He will invite Kim to the White House;
  • He raised human rights issues with Kim, though “relatively briefly compared to denuclearization.” Trump appeared to downplay the state of DPRK human rights by saying that human rights conditions are also “rough in a lot of places”;
  • The U.S. would suspend annual U.S.-South Korea military exercises, which Trump called “war games” and “provocative,” during nuclear negotiations. He said the move, which was not accompanied by any apparent commensurate move by Pyongyang and reportedly surprised South Korea and U.S. military commanders, would save “a tremendous amount of money.” Trump also expressed a hope of eventually withdrawing the approximately 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. Post-summit remarks by the Administration created confusion about whether all exercises or only some types will be suspended.

Notable items not present in the statement or Trump’s remarks include details about a timeframe or verification protocols for denuclearization, and a commitment by Kim to dismantle the DPRK’s ballistic missile program.”

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