IN A handshake watched around the globe, US President Donald Trump finally met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday in Singapore. Now, the world awaits to see what concrete actions might follow.
The pair signed a document pledging to 鈥渨ork towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula鈥�. Analysts have cautioned this does not mean that Kim will be willing to unilaterally give up his nuclear weapons without the US also removing its protective nuclear umbrella from South Korea.
Advertisement
But Trump seemed to suggest Kim would do exactly that. 鈥淗e鈥檚 de-nuking the whole place,鈥� Trump said after their summit. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 going to start now.鈥�
The document makes no mention of how to verify the dismantling of North Korea鈥檚 arsenal 鈥� a sticking point for past agreements. Trump suggested that international observers would be involved, but gave no specific details as to how this difficult task would be accomplished.
鈥淚t takes a long time, scientifically,鈥� said Trump about verification at a post-summit press conference. 鈥淲e will do it as fast as it can mechanically and physically be done.鈥� Trump claimed that North Korea has already destroyed a missile engine testing site.
For his part, Kim noted the surreal nature of the meeting. 鈥淢any people in the world will think of this as a form of fantasy, from a science-fiction movie,鈥� he said through a translator.
For more on the power dynamics between the two leaders, see 鈥�Trump v Kim: the mind games that led to the Korea summit鈥�.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淚s this time different?鈥�
