SUMMIT TO TALK ABOUT
Donald Trump meeting with Kim Jong-un – what happened at the Singapore summit what did they sign?
The historic talks have between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have finally taken place in Singapore
THE first-ever meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader took place in Singapore on Tuesday with the rest of the world watching.
President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met face-to-face to discuss the latter's controversial nuclear weapons programme.
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What happened at the Trump and Kim meeting?
A handshake between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un kicked off the historic summit with a promise to start denuclearisation "very quickly".
The two leaders then held a 41 minute behind-closed-doors discussion, with only translators present and signed an agreement.
Speaking of the meeting, Trump said the meeting had gone "better than anyone could have expected".
He told reporters: "It is a tremendous honour, and I have no doubt we will have a terrific relationship."
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Kim Jong-un said, in Korean: “The old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward, but we’ve overcome all of them, and we are here today", to which Trump replied "that's true".
Kim added: "There were moments when we covered our ears and eyes, but we have overcome them to arrive here."
After a working lunch, the two leaders signed "three comprehensive documents".
The North Korean leader committed to "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," according to a joint text.
What was the much-heralded meeting about?
Washington is hoping the bilateral discussions will be the first of many with Kim's government, eventually leading to it ditching its nukes.
That weapons programme has become a threat to neighbours such as Seoul and Tokyo - and potentially even for the US mainland.
Nuclear policy and security experts simply don't believe Pyongyang will relinquish its technology without a fight.
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Why was Singapore chosen as the location?
US officials had considered holding the summit at the Korean demilitarised zone or in Mongolia, but ultimately settled on the city-state of Singapore as the location.
, the Trump administration officials were in favour of holding the meeting in Singapore to demonstrate neutrality.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House chief of staff John Kelly recognised that the summit location would play a large role in how the talks are viewed around the world, the broadcaster said.
The chief concern was the appearance of neutrality, both in the location's politics and its geography.
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Read up on North Korea
Has a US president ever held talks with a North Korean leader?
This will be the first time a sitting US president has ever met with a North Korean leader.
Talks between the nations have previously been overseen by lower-level officials, but now they will start at the top.
In the months before Trump and Kim had openly been trading verbal insults with each other.
Kim called Trump a "deranged US dotard" while Trump referred to the "little rocket man" but it appears now relations have certainly thawed.
Kim Jong-un's bodyguards are back as they run alongside the vehicle carrying the North Korean leader to the InterKorean Summit
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