Trump-Kim summit document reaffirms goal of 'complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula'


In the document President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed Tuesday in Singapore, Trump "committed to provide security guarantees" to North Korea and Kim "reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," specifically "reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration" signed by Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Both leaders also pledged to "join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula," and said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and "a relevant high-level DPRK official" will meet "at the earliest possible date to implement the outcomes of the US-DPRK summit." Both sides also committed to "recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified."
The White House hasn't yet released the document, but a photographer took a legible photo of it when Trump held it up after signing it. "The agreement, while a large step forward in what will likely be a lengthy process to normalize relations between the two countries, provided no details about how the U.S. and North Korea plan to achieve these goals," Axios notes. Reuters correspondent Josh Smith had some specific questions:
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Marc Ambinder was unimpressed by the level of specificity:
New York Times security analyst Max Fisher, meanwhile, noted that things could be worse.
And that is ... something.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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