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One For The History Books: The World Looks On As US President Meets North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un

Swarajya StaffJun 12, 2018, 10:21 AM | Updated 10:21 AM IST
Kim Jong-un (L) with Donald Trump. (Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES/Handout via Getty Images)

Kim Jong-un (L) with Donald Trump. (Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES/Handout via Getty Images)


US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un finally met face-to-face in a summit in Singapore that has been highly anticipated world over. After the usual handshake and exchange of pleasantries, they had a closed-door meeting where a joint press statement was formalised.

Trump, on his part, said, "We're going to have a great discussion and, I think, tremendous success. It will be tremendously successful. And it's my honour. We will have a terrific relationship — I have no doubt," signalling a seemingly positive start to the relationship.

The North Korean leader said, "It was not easy to get here. The past worked as fetters on our limbs, and the old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward. But we overcame all of them, and we are here today," as per a translation provided by the White House.

After that, the two leaders left for deeper one-on-one discussions.

This is the first time sitting leaders of the two countries have met, and has come after severe animosity between the two nations, occasionally peppered with threats of war and attack. The main aim behind setting up the meeting of the two leaders has been to ensure that Pyongyang works towards denuclearisation, while North Korea looks to extract the best deal it can from the US for its economic betterment.

North Korea has for long justified its nuclearisation on the pretext of an "extreme and direct nuclear threat" from the United States.

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