There was much global concern whether the summit would hold or not, especially after the American leader once called it off. Well, the summit was held in Singapore last Tuesday, thanks to the doggedness of the mediators, pacifists eager to douse the tension between the leaders of two fierce Cold War foes. After they had signed the MOU, President Trump lavished praise on the North Korean leader, thanking him “for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future”, towards denuclearization and, ultimately, a lasting peace. “I think he wants to get it done,” Trump said.
The US President acknowledged that the situation in North Korea is “rough,” but said that eliminating the country’s weapons of mass destruction is his top priority. North Korea has intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the American mainland, though whether they could carry a nuclear payload remains a matter of debate.
North Korea has technically remained at war with the US since the Korean War ended in 1953, with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty. The summit did not change that status quo, but the joint statement included a provision “reaffirming” a promise Kim made last month to work with South Korea to end that longstanding conflict. In his remarks following the talks, Trump vowed the war would “soon end” despite the fact that no agreement was reached on that issue.
Observers and analysts who have criticized the summit as a media blitz need to wait a while. President Kim had declared at the end of the event that a major change is in the works.
