What's the prevailing thought on the success (or not) of the Trump-Kim meeting?

“President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a first, historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018.

President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:

1. The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.

2. The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

3. Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration,

the DPRK commits to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

4. The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

Having acknowledged that the U.S.-DPRK summit – the first in history – was an epochal event of great significance and overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening of a new future, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously. The United States and the DPRK commit to hold follow-on negotiations led by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and a relevant high-level DPRK official, at the earliest possible date, to implement the outcomes of the U.S.-DPRK summit.
President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have committed to cooperate for the development of new U.S.-DPRK relations and for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and security of the Korean Peninsula and of the world.
June 12, 2018

Sentosa Island”

As marked in bold, it is nothing more than a flashy
“He promises to try.”
So, nothing new, and nothing groundbreaking.
Just a wasted day of PR for both of them.

The prevailing thought I’m reading is, ” it was just a photo op for Trump.”

Long way to travel for a photo op.

A propaganda victory for Kim, as Trump lavishes praise on him.

Nobody is considering Trump’s “praises” are politically motivated. So obvious to me.
They’re just words; nothing to take seriously.

@Aster

You clearly have no understanding of how propaganda works.

The devil will be in the details. It is of some consequence that the U.S. has called off its military exercise with the South Koreans, though it would have been nice to inform the South Koreans beforehand.

The document is very vague about lifting sanctions. I can’t imagine that the North Koreans would start getting rid of their weapons without a quid pro quo reduction in sanctions.

Yep. Kim’s effectively gotten the US to start to abandon South Korea while making no concessions himself. Face it folks, Trump’s a mark and Kim played him.

Seems to me that it’s worth a shot to help the NK people, Japan, SK, etc… I do feel that Trump is making nice, as is Kim, so we’ll see what happens.

What an astonishingly foolish notion to think that the US has “abandoned” South Korea. That’s a stretch even for you, @Darth_Algar.

I continue to be amazed – though I know by this time I shouldn’t be, any more – in the quality of commentary regarding Trump, so that even if he walked on water, someone would criticize him for not having the sense or decency to remove his shoes first.

@Darth_Algar: “Kim’s effectively gotten the US to start to abandon South Korea”

What does this mean?

It was show business between two who understand each other better than we understand either one of them.

The difference is that one of them knows very well what he has to lose and what he has to gain, and he’s a ruthless survivor. The other is an ignorant, unprincipled bully. Of the two, Trump is by far the hungrier.

We’re ceasing the military training exercises that we hold every year with South Korea. In exchange we get nothing from Kim beyond an “uh yeah, I’ll think about it”. That undermines both our position and South Korea’s.

@Darth_Algar – Are you lamenting the loss of risky militaristic posturing against a state with nuclear weapons?

And do your thoughts on this matter more than the people of South Korea, who don’t share your opinion?

What success?
Even at G7 meeting all looked good until Trump tweeted otherwise.
Lets wait and see Trumps tweets after Kim does his.
I think Kim is keeping his cards close to his chest and of course he is on top of media reports about Trumps pattern of disregarding agreements even the ones he has signed.
His Signature in future will mean nothing and I am sure Kim has doubts about U.S. President.

Trump got rolled by Kim, while Trump threw So Ko under the bus.

The supposed Leader of the Free World met a tinpot dictator on an even basis, and conceded what North Korea has been yelling about for thirty years, while getting nothing but vague promises in return.

You would be a fool to put your trust in either of these men. What is required is not just a meeting but an agreement with lots of technical details, inspections and verification. The nuclear deal with Iran would have been a template to follow had Trump not abandoned it. It seems to me the meeting was all show and no substance.

Well. On paper, the US got nothing. They got some dead bodies. That’s nice.

Overall, I agree that on the face of it Kim is probably playing Trump well.

The war games are an important part of the US, and SK’s military. They rotate troops in and out. It’s a great way to train our overall military, and keep them sharp.

Republicans were appalled by Obama even communicating with Iran, as they are a perceived sponsor of terrorism (which they are.) But Trump can make concessions to Kim for nothing, and it’s fine. Kim should be on trial for a laundry list of crimes against humanity. Instead, Trump is lavishing him with praise. If Obama did this, conservative heads would explode all over the country…

He probably gave the nuclear code for a couple cutie’s cell phone numbers in North Korea.

@MrGrimm888
Well, Kim is not a “towelhead”.

Much ado about nothing.

Loli. No. Kim is a monster. Is it time to start calling all the news about him “fake news?”...

^^^^ SMH to most of this above lol.

^ Yep. This is depressing.

heh

It just seems too good to be true…
...so not deciding just yet…

Trump’s announcement of the
cancellation of military exercises was not only a surprise to South Korea, it was a surprise to the Pentagon, the joint chiefs of staff and the Secretary of Defense.

I think this article offers a stunningly apt analysis of the dynamic at work here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/opinion/g7-trump-north-korea-kim-jong-un-foreign-policy.html

I think this is the beginning of global peace.

^That would be great. Back to reality….

Is what people said after Hitler signed the non-aggression treaty with Stalin.

Weren’t the US, and Japan having talks, that were really just stalling by Japan in WW2? Earning trust, right before Pearl Harbor?

And yet. It would be crazy, to attack the US. Kim has been rumored, to have 30–60 nuclear warheads. He could hurt the US badly. But he couldn’t invade the mainland. I think the most dangerous version of Kim, is if he thinks that his regime is about to be replaced. Then, he could easily “go out, with a bang.”

I don’t trust Trump, but Kim is similarly pathetic person with an even worst past. I trust Trump to do whatever suits him personally best. I trust Kim to do the same. Neither’s concerns run deeper, than their own interests. IMO…

Sadly, I guess I trust Trump, and Kim the same. I only trust them to be the pathetic beings that they are. Nothing else.

“The establishment Democrats & MSNBC have achieved the remarkable feat of coming across as more militaristic than both Trump & Kim Jong Un.”

- Allan Nairn

@Jeruba , That article does seem to get things right. I wonder to what extent the trend in nationalism will continue. Following WW II, there was a surge in global alliances, notably including the UN. People were talking about how technological improvements in communication and transportation had created a global village. It seems like so much more of an inviting place to live in than a bunch of mutually antagonistic armed camps.

@MrGrimm888 I think Kim Jong-Un would be more likely to invade South Korea and threaten the US with nuclear retaliatory strikes if the US were to try to stop him.

No, @MrGrimm888, exactly the opposite. The Japanese prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor were stringing along a series of talks with the American Secretary of State as the attack convoy was steaming east from Japan to Hawaii … and other elements of their surprise attacks in the Pacific were heading for simultaneous attacks on the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and French Indochina (Vietnam). What might have seemed like “negotiation” at the time was part of an overall military strategy.

And why even retaliate against the US?? He would attack South Korea and Japan and we wouldn’t have a chance in hell of stopping him. He just talks about attacking the US to rattle our chain.

@CWOTUS . That’s what I meant. This new version of NK willing to talk, could easily be strategic planning, not a realistic endeavor by NK to play nice. I think they’re up to something.

@MrGrimm888 Oh, he’s up to something, all right. He wants to finish the job his grandfather started. (SO obvious!)