North Korea: Trump has agreed to a step-by-step denuclearization process

In the first meeting between a U.S. President and the leader of North Korea, Pyongyang announced in an official statement that Donald Trump has agreed to a 'step-by-step' process for denuclearization of the country. The official statement, released in the early hours of Wednesday, June 13, also mentioned that Mr. Trump has accepted the North Korean leader's invitation to visit Pyongyang. Donald Trump, in turn, had mentioned on Tuesday the possibility of the North Korean leader visiting Washington and touring the White House. Reuters reported, citing the North Korean state news agency, that the 'step-by-step' process involves simultaneous steps 'from both sides' to reduce tensions and establish peace between the U.S. and North Korea. On Tuesday, the U.S. President met with Kim Jong Un, the young leader of North Korea, in front of cameras from around the world, a meeting that many experts and analysts deemed 'historic.' In six decades of conflict between the U.S. and North Korea, the leaders of the two countries had never met. The outcome of this meeting was a document emphasizing four points: 'the commitment of both countries to establish new relations, the joint effort of both countries to establish stable and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea's commitment to work towards the complete denuclearization of the peninsula, and the commitment of both countries to find and exchange the remains of prisoners of war and war captives.' The claim of the U.S. President's agreement to a 'step-by-step' process for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, if true, would be in contrast to the U.S.'s longstanding demand in this regard. The United States has always insisted on 'complete, irreversible disarmament' in any stance regarding North Korea and has emphasized that only under this condition would it agree to lift sanctions against Pyongyang. The report from the North Korean state news agency, citing Kim Jong Un, states that if the U.S. takes 'real and genuine actions for trust-building,' Pyongyang will continue its 'goodwill-based actions.' The report also confirmed the issue of ending joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises on the peninsula. Donald Trump stated on Tuesday, after meeting with the North Korean leader, that he does not agree with the continuation of military exercises on the Korean Peninsula. He then explained in his interview with Voice of America that his opposition is due to the 'provocative' nature of these exercises and their high costs. He said, 'As long as we are negotiating in good faith, there will be no military maneuvers.' This point was also welcomed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, a key supporter of North Korea in the region and the world, welcomed the announcement by the U.S. President and noted that it shows that China's proposal is feasible. This Chinese official referred to the so-called 'dual suspension' plan previously proposed by the Chinese government, under which Pyongyang would cease nuclear testing and, in return, the U.S. and South Korea would also stop military exercises. North Korea has always reacted strongly to these joint exercises near its borders over the years. The South Korean news agency Yonhap also reported on Wednesday that the South Korean presidency has agreed to halt these exercises. The South Korean presidential office stated in a statement on Wednesday that halting the joint exercises with the U.S. is likely necessary to expedite denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.