President Trump meets Kim Jong Un

By Veronica Rocha, Brian Ries, Ben Westcott, Meg Wagner and Amanda Wills, CNN

Updated 11:03 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018
73 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
4:29 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

Trump says Kim promised to destroy a missile engine testing site

President Trump says Kim Jong Un told him that North Korea is destroying a major missile engine testing site.

"North Korea is already destroying a major missile engine testing site," Trump said.

The commitment was not included in the joint declaration the two men signed, but Trump said: "We agreed to that after the agreement was signed."

Trump also outlined the agreement that he and Kim signed earlier. He said Kim reaffirmed "his unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

Trump said Kim "wants to do that."

"This is not the past," he said. "This is not another administration that never got it started. And therefore never got it done."
4:19 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

NOW: President Trump speaks to the media

President Trump is speaking to the press after his summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore. He took the stage after a well-produced video about Kim's unique chance at changing North Korea's path forward.

Trump said it was "a tape" that was given to Kim's representatives and it "captures a lot. It captures what can be done."

Trump said that the day was spent with “very intensive hours" with Kim that resulted in a “comprehensive document.” He says that he delivered a message of “hope… and peace.”

3:41 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

SOON: President Trump will speak to the media

President Trump is expected to speak to the media at 4:00 p.m. local time (that's 4:00 a.m. ET for those of you still awake).

There's currently one podium in the room, which is already filling up with reporters.

We'll stream the event live in the player above.

3:24 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

Analysis: The Trump-Kim agreement is "weaker" on nukes than previous commitments

Adam Mount, senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, told CNN the language on denuclearization in the agreement signed by President Trump and Kim Jong Un Tuesday is surprisingly weak.

"It is no stronger and in fact considerably weaker than previous NK commitments on the nuclear issue ... I quite frankly expected something tougher than this," Mount said.

He added there was no mention of verifiable or irreversible denuclearization in the Singapore summit agreement.

But it's not a failure: Mount added that this doesn't mean the Trump-Kim meeting was a failure by any means. "If the summit genuinely results in continued interactions, that result in a reduction of tension on the Peninsula, it will be seen as a success," he told CNN.

"Over time if we can reduce the conventional threat to South Korea, if we can raise human rights issue, that process could eventually in result in nuclear limits."

3:06 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

What we know about North Korea’s nuclear capabilities

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a document committing to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

But just how advanced are the North’s capabilities?

  • The rapid advancement of North Korea’s missile research in 2017 shocked the world -- after months of testing, it successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, in July, which is claimed was capable of reaching the continental United States.
  • Then in September, North Korea tested its strongest nuclear weapon yet -- an 160-kiloton bomb which Pyongyang said was a hydrogen weapon.
  • The North Korean government claims it has successfully miniaturized its nuclear devices, leaving them potentially capable of launching a nuclear missile at the United States mainland.

While there’s been no independent confirmation one way or the other, US intelligence analysts have told CNN they are probably telling the truth.

3:08 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

Kim's denuclearization pledge is similar to the one he made with South Korea in April

The agreement by Kim Jong Un to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" echoes his language after the summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April.

In the Panmunjom Declaration, signed by Moon and Kim on April 27, both leaders "confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula."

When asked at his signing with Kim if North Korea had agreed to denuclearize, President Trump said, "We're starting that process very quickly, very, very quickly. Absolutely."

3:08 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

Read the historic document for yourself

Photographers were able to snap photographs of the document President Trump and Kim Jong Un signed at the conclusion of the summit, which showed that they had agreed to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Here it is (click here to open in a new, larger view):

Read the full document here.

2:40 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

US and North Korea commit to "work to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in signed document

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Photographs of the document signed by President Trump indicate the leaders agreed to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

The document indicates the leaders will work toward establishment of “new US-DPRK relations.”

The document reads:

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.
2:27 a.m. ET, June 12, 2018

China hails US North Korea summit as historic

From CNN's Steven Jiang

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has praised Tuesday's meeting between Kim Jong Un and US President Trump, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Wang said he hoped the summit would help "clear interferences, establish mutual trust and overcome difficulties so that they will reach a basic consensus on, and take concrete steps toward, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

"We hope all relevant sides will make an effort toward this and China will continue to play a constructive role," Wang added.

The Chinese government is a long-time ally of North Korea and has pushed for talks between Pyongyang and Washington for more than a year.