In an unexpected meeting, President Trump has met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the third time on June 30, 2019. This time, Trump became the first American president to walk into North Korea through the 38th parallel between the two Koreas.
After the two leaders failed to come to an agreement during their second summit in Hanoi back in February, Kim has continued to launch missiles through his nuclear program. However, in their recent meeting, Trump and Kim reaffirmed their plans to continue negotiations regarding Kim’s nuclear program.
[Source: Associated Press, Susan Walsh]
Trump crossing the border into North Korea has become a symbolic moment in history because he is the first US president to ever do so. It took him twenty steps and about a minute before he returned to South Korea.
Trump later said that he was “proud to step over the line”. When Kim crossed into South Korea, he said, “I believe this is an expression of [Trump’s] willingness to eliminate all the unfortunate past and open a new future.”
However, Democrats were not happy about the meeting. Senator Kamala Harris tweeted, “This President should take the North Korean nuclear threat and its crimes against humanity seriously. This is not a photo-op. Our security and our values are at stake.” Senator Bernie Sanders told ABC News, “I don’t want it simply to be a photo opportunity.”
[Source: Associated Press, Susan Walsh]
Furthermore, at this impromptu meeting, there was also a moment in which a US president and leaders of both South and North Korea have met together in one place. It was the first time in history that all three leaders were in one place together.
Emory University student Justin Kim has said, “While the meeting did come as unexpected, I don’t really see the importance of the meeting. These political meetings create a lot of buzz, but they rarely result in any significant change or outcome.”
As the two leaders continue to negotiate, we can only hope that a solid and irreversible deal about Kim’s denuclearization is reached.
Jennie Kim, Grade 12
Immaculate Heart High School