The much-awaited summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea (DPRK) at Singapore resulted in an agreement that holds out some hope of peace in the Korean peninsula. The joint declaration issued by both has security assurances by Trump and a reaffirmation by Jong-un of the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration between both the Koreas, reiterating his “firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” It is significant that this declaration does not amount to any unilateral denuclearisation by North Korea alone: denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula would call for an end to any nuclear delivery systems held by the US in the peninsula, or even visits by US nuclear-armed ships, submarines, aircraft to Korean shores. In the Press Conference that followed the declaration, Trump also declared a commitment to a suspension of “war games” (joint military exercises) between the US and South Korea. This Summit is a further step forward from the talks between North and South Korea. Further developments must be watched to see how far the US is willing to suspend the war games and also lift sanctions on North Korea.
