Trump-Kim Meet ends with promise

Trump-Kim Meet ends with promise

News:

1. At the recent Singapore Summit, USA and North Korea has signed a joint statement

Important facts:

2. Key highlights of the joint statement:

• Commitment to establish U.S.–DPRK relations
• USA-DPRK collective efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula
• Reaffirming the Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK has committed to working towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
• Recovering remains of the prisoners of war and those missing in action including the immediate repatriation of those already identified

3. Steps to be taken for Denuclearization:

Joint statement has mentioned steps to be taken by North Korea for denuclearization:

• Dismantle and remove nuclear weapons from the country
• Halt uranium enrichment- According to a 2014 Rand report, North Korea has 5 nuclear enrichment sites
• Shut down nuclear test sites- Recently, North Korea closed its nuclear test site at Mount Mantap

• End fuel production for hydrogen bomb- two suspected sites: Yongbyon and near Hamhung
• Destroy germ weapons: Eliminate anthrax and other deadly biological weapons
• Destroy chemical weapons: Eliminate sarin, VX and other lethal agents
• Limit missile programme- Eliminate the long-range threat to the U.S. and mid-range missile threat to Japan and South Korea
• However, no deadline has been mentioned

4. US-South Korea joint Exercises:

• At present, 28,500 US Troops are stationed in South Korea. This is to restrain a possible North Korean invasion
• Since the 1970s, US-South Korea have held a major military exercise called Ulchi Freedom Guardian
• Also conducted operation Foal Eagle (field-training exercise) and Operation Key Resolve (command post exercise)

5. Trump’s Statement

• Announced that US would suspend military exercises with South Korea
• The US to provide security guarantees to North Korea in exchange of commitment towards complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula
• Sanctions on North Korea to continue at present.