The mystery behind the documents signed by US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as reporters looked on earlier this afternoon is over. So what exactly did they ratify at the conclusion of their historic meeting today?
CNN and Bloomberg managed to zoom into the document that was held up by Trump at the end of the joint signing ceremony. The language of the agreement involves North Korea committing to complete denuclearization and long-lasting peace in exchange for unspecified “security guarantees” from the United States.
Here are the full contents of that document.
President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a first, historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018.
President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new US-DPRK relations and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Convinced that the establishment of new US-DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:
- US and North Korea commit to establishing new US-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.
- The two countries will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean peninsula.
- Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, North Korea commits to working towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
- US and North Korea commit to recovering remains of prisoners of war, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.
Having acknowledged that the US-DPRK summit — the first in history — was an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un commit to implementing the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously. The United States and the DPRK commit to hold follow-up negotiations, led by US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo and a relevant high-level DPRK official at the earliest possible date to implement the outcomes of the US-DPRK summit.
President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have committed to cooperate for the development of new US-DPRK relations and for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and security of the Korean Peninsula and of the world.
Not to be a Debbie Downer here, but outside of the commitment to follow-up negotiations, there’s not a lot going on there, folks. Earlier today, when the contents of the documents remained maddeningly vague, Kim assured reporters that “the world will see a major change.” According to Trump, it’s a “very important” and “pretty comprehensive” document. Ehhh.
A baby step towards denuclearization it may be, but it’s not sitting well with some.
“The Reality TV-Star Trump just pulled off the photo-op of a lifetime,” said Beatrice Fihn, executive director of Nobel Peace Prize 2017 winner International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
“Rather than signing an unsubstantial agreement, Trump and Kim should be signing a real document based on international law, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”
North Korea expert Robert E. Kelly (aka BBC Dad) had his own particularly withering take on what he considered a non-event.
“God, this is just depressing,” he said via his Twitter account. “All that hype for this? All that drama and the Nobel talk? Come, art of the deal. This is it? This is, well, pathetic given that the US president was personally involved.
Trump has yet to deliver a press conference that was meant to take place at 2:30pm today. It should be happening soon at Capella Hotel in Sentosa before the US president leaves for Paya Lebar Airbase to his next stop: Guam.
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