North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said he would abandon his country’s nuclear weapons if the United States agrees to end the Korean War and promises not to invade, a South Korean official said after the historic North-South summit last week.
Kim Jong Un promises to give up nuclear weapons if US vows not to invade https://t.co/OWEpfqpSmS pic.twitter.com/N4ZEE7x9R7
— The Hill (@thehill) April 30, 2018
North Korea would also invite journalists and experts from the U.S. and South Korea to observe when North Korea shuts down its nuclear test site sometime in May, the South Korean official said.
South Korea says Kim Jong Un will shut down nuclear test site in May and invite US experts and journalists into North Korea https://t.co/XbEOaa9IbL pic.twitter.com/0So5XOg5Cc
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 29, 2018
The New York Times first reported on South Korean government spokesman Yoon Young-chan’s remarks following the summit with Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday.
“I know the Americans are inherently disposed against us, but when they talk with us, they will see that I am not the kind of person who would shoot nuclear weapons to the south, over the Pacific or at the United States,” Kim reportedly told Moon, Yoon said.
President Donald Trump tweeted about the story late Sunday, acknowledging that the nuclear test site will be shut down in May.
Headline: “Kim Prepared to Cede Nuclear Weapons if U.S. Pledges Not to Invade” – from the Failing New York Times. Also, will shut down Nuclear Test Site in May.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2018
He later tweeted on Monday morning about his own meeting with North Korea.
“Numerous countries are being considered for the MEETING, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the Border of North & South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country? Just asking,” the President said.
Numerous countries are being considered for the MEETING, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the Border of North & South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country? Just asking!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2018
President Trump has said there are potential dates and locations for his upcoming summit with North Korea, which is said to be slated for sometime before June.
After an historic meeting Friday, the leaders of North and South Korea signed an agreement to officially end the Korean War after 65 years, which will be declared later this year, and to work to denuclearize and establish a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
Kim and Moon met in the Demilitarized Zone, in the border village of Panmunjom, and signed the “Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula.”
The meeting was rightfully garnered global attention, and it was the first time a sitting North Korean leader had stepped foot in South Korean territory since the Korean War began. The Korean military conflict technically lasted from 1950 to 1953 but was ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
Moon also stepped onto North Korean territory for a brief moment before the men walked together to the Peace House, a conference building on the South Korean side of the border village where their much-anticipated meeting took place.
The two leaders later gave separate speeches about the declaration.
“There will not be any more war on the Korean Peninsula. The new era of peace has finally opened and we are declaring that,” Moon said. “Today, chairman Kim and I have agreed that a complete denuclearization will be achieved. That is our common goal. We reaffirm that is our goal. … A complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula will be starting. And for a complete peace to arrive South and North Korea will collaborate closely. I announce that and also we declare the end of the war and also signing the peace treaty. We will totally end the war on the Korean Peninsula and will establish sound and solid peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
“It took a long time for the two Koreas to come together… South and North Korea are the same people, the same blood, they cannot be separated,” Kim said.
It is a rare occasion when the world sees the North Korean dictator speak publicly, especially to address the world and speak on the topic of peace. The rhetoric from North Korea over the past year has typically been hostile and aggressive, particularly toward the United States.
