North Korean state media hails Kim-Trump summit success

By Christine Kim

 

North Koreans watch the displayed local newspapers reporting the summit between the U.S. and North Korea at a subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo taken by Kyodo June 13, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - The faces of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were first and foremost on North Korea's official party newspaper on Wednesday as state media hailed Tuesday's historic summit between the two men.

 

The North's state media framed Tuesday's summit as a win for Pyongyang as it listed concessions made by Trump, with North Korea dubbing the summit in Singapore "the meeting of the century" on the front page of its official party newspaper.

 

Trump expressed his intention to halt U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, offer security guarantees to the North and lift sanctions against it as relations improve, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

 

A document signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen in Singapore in this picture released on June 12, 2018 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS

 

The U.S. president had said in a press conference on Tuesday he would like to lift sanctions against North Korea but it would not happen immediately.

 

"Kim Jong Un and Trump had the shared recognition to the effect that it is important to abide by the principle of step-by-step and simultaneous action in achieving peace, stability and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," KCNA said.

 

Denuclearisation of North Korea was barely mentioned elsewhere in the statement, which mainly focused on stopping hostilities between North Korea and the United States. No mention was made of officially ending the state of war between North and South Korea after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce not a peace treaty.

 

Photographs of Trump and Kim Jong Un crowded the first half of Wednesday's six-page Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the pair in various situations at the summit venue in Singapore.

 

In one photo on the front page, Trump was featured gesturing the way forward for Kim Jong Un, while four of the eight photos on the front page featured them shaking hands.

 

Other pages showed U.S. and North Korean officials having their extended meeting, a working lunch and later, Trump and Kim signing a joint agreement that marked the end to the summit.

 

Backdrops of U.S. and North Korean flags, both red white and blue, were also prominent in the Rodong Sinmun, which has previously lashed the United States as a 'gangster-like imperialist', and 'cancer-like entity'.

 

"Today's Rodong Sinmun wants to show Kim Jong Un played a huge part and seized a great victory," said Moon Hong-sik, research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS).

 

"If you look at just the North Korean reports from today it seems this week's summit existed to create a new peace regime on the Korean peninsula and a new relationship with the United States. Denuclearisation was just an appendage," he said.

 

The newspaper had been quick off the mark to cover Kim Jong Un's trip, plastering it's Tuesday edition with pictures and stories of Kim travelling with officials and sightseeing.

 

STOP HOSTILITIES

North Korea's official media brought a large number of reporters and camera operators to Singapore for the Kim trip, and they had access to various locations that was denied to media from elsewhere in the world.

 

According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un said it was "urgent" for North Korea and the United States to halt "irritating and hostile military actions against each other" during the talks on Tuesday.

 

Kim and Trump invited each other to their respective countries and both leaders "gladly accepted", KCNA reported.

 

Trump's pledge to end joint exercises with South Korea without explicit concessions from North Korea to lower the military threat posed by Pyongyang took South Korean and U.S. military officials by surprise.

 

"For North Korea, they got exactly what they wanted," Moon Seong-mook, a former South Korean military official and current head of the Unification Strategy Center in Seoul. "They had a summit as a nuclear state with Kim on equal turf with Trump, got the United States to halt joint military exercises with South Korea. It's a win for Kim Jong Un."

 

Moon said the North's report should be confirmed from the U.S. side, while another expert agreed the North Korean state media should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

"It's propaganda in the end," said Jeong Hyung-gon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy. "They are expressing their thoughts in order to cover their weaknesses."

 

The 33 photos seen in Wednesday's Rodong Sinmun were far fewer than the 61 featured in the Rodong the day after the April 27 inter-Korean summit but the April event had been a one-day trip for Kim Jong Un while Kim was in Singapore for three.

 

The KCNA report noted that Kim and Trump walked together after lunch, "deepening friendly feelings" and held a "meaningful photo session" to commemorate the signing of the agreement.

 

(Reporting by Christine Kim; Additional reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-13

Donald has also invited Kim to Washington.

 

But me think Kim would prefer a trip to Florida for The Kennedy Space Center,  Disney World  and Krazy golf at Mar a Largo...

Edited June 13, 20188 yr by Basil B

Of course they do.

 

Totally meaningless.

I surmise he is thinking of what kind of money that condos near virgin beaches might bring to North Korea's economy.  

I am enthused at this time, especially after seeing Dennis Rodman who played with Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls for years, speak and show his happiness on CNN News about the optimistic meeting.

He had a wonderful experience and bonded with Kim to the surprise of many.    He went to play basketball and he received much more.

This is why you should not leave problem children unsupervised!

 

During the meeting, the first 'encounter' was between Trump, Kim Jong and an interpreter. No aids, no neutral observer, and now look what starts to some out from NK media.

 

Quote

Confusion as North Korea says US will lift sanctions

Quote

North Korea's state media has reported that Donald Trump has "expressed his intention" to lift crippling sanctions against the country - despite the US president saying that they will remain until "nukes are no longer a factor".

Now what did Trump say in the private meeting? who knows but now we have a he said she said situation.

 

This was a complete coup all round for Kim Jong Un. There were also some interesting power plays by Kim Jong. Did anyone see the photo of Kim Jong putting his hand on Trumps back and 'easing him forward'? It is a classic "i am in control here, go where I say bitch' piece of body language. Also despite being educated at the worlds most expensive , exclusive school and speaking perfect english, Kim Jong never spoke to Trump at any point of the day in English. Trump was owned.

 

North Korea 2 United States 0

1 hour ago, johnnysunshine said:

I surmise he is thinking of what kind of money that condos near virgin beaches might bring to North Korea's economy.  

I am enthused at this time, especially after seeing Dennis Rodman who played with Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls for years, speak and show his happiness on CNN News about the optimistic meeting.

He had a wonderful experience and bonded with Kim to the surprise of many.    He went to play basketball and he received much more.

You really think citing Dennis Rodman's support of anything actually helps you make your case? Dennis Rodman? 

 

1 hour ago, johnnysunshine said:

I surmise he is thinking of what kind of money that condos near virgin beaches might bring to North Korea's economy.  

 

I am sure his 3 little piggies and Jared will be on their way to Pyongyang very soon. This guy is a world class fool.

 

 

 

" North Korean state media is  saying that Trump told Kim that he's going to lift U.S. sanctions, which Trump said he did not do.

According to the Wall Street Journal. Trump indicated in interviews yesterday that Kim was rushing back home to start "de-nuking" immediately.

He certainly didn't say he'd agreed to a "principle of step-by-step simultaneous action. "

https://www.salon.com/2018/06/13/after-the-singapore-summit-what-happens-when-donald-trump-realizes-hes-been-played/

 

1 minute ago, Opl said:

" North Korean state media is  saying that Trump told Kim that he's going to lift U.S. sanctions, which Trump said he did not do.

According to the Wall Street Journal. Trump indicated in interviews yesterday that Kim was rushing back home to start "de-nuking" immediately.

He certainly didn't say he'd agreed to a "principle of step-by-step simultaneous action. "

https://www.salon.com/2018/06/13/after-the-singapore-summit-what-happens-when-donald-trump-realizes-hes-been-played/

 

Who knows what Trump said? Apparently, for 40 minutes Kim and Trump spoke only with interpreters present.

What would anyone expect from the North Korean media but showing Kim as successful?  Unlike the US media who freely bash Trump the North Korean media is controlled.  Hell, even in the US, MSNBC spent hours with it pundits criticizing Trump for giving away the farm and not getting definitive concessions and a timeline.  I certainly don't like everything Trump says but he was willing to go to Singapore and meet with Kim.  Rather that the usual diplomatic meetings taking a year with some follow on treaty that might work over the long term, Trump went to see if he felt Kim was serious on this. He is attempting to form a relationship with the man in North Korea who counts. Nothing lost in doing this. There is a long way to go and denuclearization was the number one issue. Let's see where it goes.  At least Trump will keep the pressure on in the meantime. As far as stopping the military exercises, it really is not much of a concession.  It's not very difficult to reinstate them if things take a turn for the worse.  Military cooperation still goes on, just not with a massive show every year.  Having traveled to North Korea and seen what things are like there, I feel Kim's future would be bleak if the sanctions continue.  He may know that and just maybe he would like to be the guy (having been educated in Switzerland and lived in the West) who changes North Korea. He will still want to be in control but he is a young guy and can be pivotal in producing change.  Let's give this a chance rather than being so negative.  Nothing was lost by Trumps trip and maybe we will see a great change it things. I'm glad Trump works like a businessman and not a politician as a politician would have listened to the State Department and played it safe and done nothing. Trump took a chance. Let's hope if pays off.

North Korean media is boasting that Trump made unannounced concessions — including sanctions relief

"Additionally, the KCNA says that Trump agreed that denuclearization should come in an incremental, step-by-step process — which contradicts Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claiming that the administration favored a swift all-at-once denuclearization to avoid getting caught up in the kinds of bureaucratic games North Korea has employed in the past."

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/north-korean-media-boasting-trump-made-unannounced-concessions-including-sanctions-relief/

 

Trump declares there is 'no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea'

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/13/trump-north-korea-no-nuclear-threat-643532

 

Donald J. Trump

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

 

 

Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!

11:56 AM - Jun 13, 2018

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Edited June 13, 20188 yr by Opl

4 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

I am sure his 3 little piggies and Jared will be on their way to Pyongyang very soon. This guy is a world class fool.

 

 

 

 

this clip reminds me of the scene in .  "apocalypse now" when helicopters were attacking and receiving fire from the north vietnamese and for the 2 surfers onboard all they could think of were the waves and catching some.  also the famous line about loving the smell of napalm in the morning

Edited June 13, 20188 yr by atyclb

Well he just got nominated for the Nobel peace prize.    The man is simply a genius, seems nothing is out of his reach!  Well done Trump! 

"After the Summit, North Korea Shows Trump in a Striking New Light"

http://time.com/5313181/trump-kim-summit-north-korea-media/

 

On 6/14/2018 at 2:04 AM, InMyShadow said:

Well he just got nominated for the Nobel peace prize.    The man is simply a genius, seems nothing is out of his reach!  Well done Trump! 

He got nominated by a couple of right wing Norwegian politicians.