Trump Shakes Hands With Kim Jong-un at DMZ, Enters North Korea

Posted by Brenda Williams on July 17th, 2019

This Sunday, President Donald Trump’s entry into North Korea marked a historic moment, as it claims Latest us news. Even though Trump initially met Kim Jong-un in 2018, their latest encounter marked the first time an American president has stepped foot on North Korean soil. 

Trump claimed their meeting was “very productive,” adding that North Korea could witness wealth and prosperity if it were to accept a nuclear program deal. 

Kim and Trump shook hands at the border village of Panmunjom, North Korea and proceeded to walk into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). With a symbolic gesture, the two leaders walked across the DMZ border barrier where Trump made twenty steps in Korea. Then, they crossed back to South Korea.

Kim Jong-un greeted Trump saying that seeing him again was good. Additionally, Kim claimed he “never expected” the President to visit the country. Donald Trump stated the entry into North Korea over the border barrier was an honor.

On Saturday, the President mentioned that the encounter would last around two minutes. But the two leaders had an impromptu private meeting on Sunday, which lasted almost an hour. 

Nuclear Negotiations

While the DMZ meeting raised new hopes regarding nuclear discussions, it’s unclear if there were any advancements during the encounter. 

After Kim and Trump’s private talks, the president claimed that the two agreed on starting a working-level discussion about the Pyongyang deal. During the 2018 Singapore Summit, Trump issued a similar statement regarding working-level negotiations. However, the 2018 talks resulted in disagreements over sanctions relief. 

North Korea has yet to supply a list of nuclear site locations and agree on denuclearization specifics with Washington. However, after Sunday’s meeting, there was no indication that the two leaders have softened their stances.

While the previous two meetings in Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam were thoroughly scripted, it appears that Sunday’s event was slightly more spontaneous. While both sides stated they were proud of the meeting, it seems unlikely that the leader of North Korea will visit the White House any time soon.