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Federal policy on North Korea, 2017-2018

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WhiteHouse.gov, "President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Signs a Declaration of Friendship," June 12, 2018

The Trump administration's approach to dealing with North Korea's continued development of a nuclear weapons program was to impose economic sanctions and to threaten the use of force if the country attempted to harm the United States or its allies. The approach led to a meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12, 2018, in Singapore where they signed a document in which they committed to working “toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” They agreed “to build a lasting and stable peace regime” on the Korean Peninsula, “establish new U.S.-DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity,” and committed to recovering the remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action. In return, Trump committed to providing security guarantees to North Korea. Read more about the meeting here.[1][2][3][4]

During a press conference after meeting with Kim, Trump said the process of denuclearization would take some time. He said, “Today is the beginning of an arduous process. Our eyes are wide open, but peace is always worth the effort, especially in this case. … Chairman Kim has the chance to seize an incredible future for his people. Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace.”[5]

The summit was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.

Trump and Kim met face-to-face for their second summit on February 27 and 28, 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam. They were unable to reach an agreement on denuclearization but agreed to continue negotiations.[6]

This page tracked major events and policy positions of the Trump administration and the 115th Congress on North Korea from 2018 to March 2019. Click on the timeline below to learn more about each headline.

February 27-28, 2019: Trump and Kim meet for second summit

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met face-to-face on February 27 and 28, 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam, for their second in-person summit.[7]

Trump and Kim were unable to reach an agreement on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Trump said that Kim wanted all economic sanctions to be lifted in return for closing some, but not all, of its nuclear weapons sites.[7]

Trump said, “I am never afraid to walk from a deal. … Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn’t do that. I just felt it wasn’t good enough. We had to have more.”[7]

Trump’s first meeting with Kim, the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, took place on June 12, 2018, in Singapore.

During the first summit, Trump and Kim signed a document outlining a framework for future negotiations. They committed to working toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and recovering the remains of prisoners of war. In return, Trump committed to providing security guarantees to North Korea.

October 7, 2018: Pompeo meets with Kim

On October 7, 2018, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, North Korea, to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They spoke about the four pillars of the document signed by Kim and President Donald Trump during the Singapore Summit. They also discussed the logistics of a second summit between Trump and Kim.[8]

Although they were unable to finalize a second summit, “Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye Ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled,” according to a State Department press release.[8]

June 12, 2018: Trump and Kim sign agreement on denuclearization

On June 12, 2018, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concluded their summit in Singapore by signing a document in which they committed to working “toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” They agreed “to build a lasting and stable peace regime” on the Korean Peninsula, “establish new U.S.-DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity,” and committed to recovering the remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action. In return, Trump committed to providing security guarantees to North Korea.[4]

Trump said of the document, “I think both sides are going to be impressed with the result. We’re going to take care of a very big and very dangerous problem for the world.” Trump also said that he would invite Kim to the White House to continue their talks.[9]

Speaking about the meeting and the document, Kim said, “We had a historic meeting and decided to leave the past behind. The world will see a major change.”[9]

Before signing the joint document, Trump and Kim spoke one-on-one with only their translators for 38 minutes. They then participated in an expanded bilateral meeting and a working lunch. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, chief of staff John Kelly, and national security advisor John Bolton participated in the expanded talks. Pompeo, Kelly, and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders attended the lunch.[10]

The summit was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.

Full text of Trump-Kim joint statement

Below is the full text of the "Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit":[11]

“ 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 toward 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 in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up 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.

DONALD J. TRUMP
President of the United States of America

KIM JONG UN
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

June 12, 2018
Sentosa Island
Singapore[12]

”

Trump answers questions about his meeting with Kim during post-summit press conference

WhiteHouse.gov, "President Trump Participates in a Media Availability," June 12, 2018

During a press conference after meeting with Kim, Trump said the process of denuclearization would take some time. He said, “Today is the beginning of an arduous process. Our eyes are wide open, but peace is always worth the effort, especially in this case. … Chairman Kim has the chance to seize an incredible future for his people. Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace.”[5]

Trump was asked a variety of questions by reporters during the press conference. His responses appear below.

  • Trump on Otto Warmbier, the American college student who died due to injuries he sustained while imprisoned by North Korea: “Otto Warmbier is a very special person, and he will be for a long time, in my life. His parents are good friends of mine. I think, without Otto, this would not have happened. Something happened, from that day. It was a terrible thing. It was brutal. But a lot of people started to focus on what was going on, including North Korea. I really think that Otto is someone who did not die in vain. I told this to his parents. Special young man. And I have to say, special parents, special people. Otto did not die in vain. He had a lot to do with us being here today.”[5]
  • Trump on removing U.S. soldiers from South Korea: “I want to get our soldiers out. I want to bring our soldiers back home. We have, right now, 32,000 soldiers in South Korea, and I’d like to be able to bring them back home. But that’s not part of the equation right now. At some point, I hope it will be, but not right now. We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should. But we’ll be saving a tremendous amount of money. Plus, I think it’s very provocative.”[5]
  • On June 12, 2018, the White House clarified Trump’s comments that the U.S. would stop war games with South Korea. The White House said that the U.S. military would continue to train with the South Korean military but would not participate in large-scale, joint exercises. Vice President Mike Pence met with GOP lawmakers to clarify Trump’s statement. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) wrote on Twitter, “@VP was very clear: regular readiness training and training exchanges will continue. .@VP went on to say while this readiness training and exchanges will occur, war games will not.”[13][14]
  • Trump on a timeline for removing sanctions on North Korea: “The sanctions will come off when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor. Sanctions played a big role, but they’ll come off at that point. I hope it’s going to be soon, but they’ll come off. As you know, and as I’ve said, the sanctions right now remain. But at a certain point, I actually look forward to taking them off. And they’ll come off when we know we’re down the road — where it’s not going to happen, nothing is going to happen.”[5]
  • Trump on whether he would lift sanctions if North Korea’s human rights abuses were not addressed: “I want significant improvement. I want to know that it won’t be happening. And again, once you start that process, there will be a point at which, even though you won’t be finished for a while because it can’t happen scientifically or mechanically, but you’re not going to be able to go back. You know, once we reach that point, I’ll start to give that very serious thought.”[5]

Responses on the meeting and document from members of Congress

  • Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “While I am glad the president and Kim Jong Un were able to meet, it is difficult to determine what of concrete nature has occurred.”[15]
  • Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.): "There is a school of thought that the United States should not sit down, that the United States president should not sit down with two-bit dictators. I think there’s some validity to that school of thought with the exception once those dictators have nuclear weapons. You know, countries like Iran and Cuba and other two-bit rogue regimes don’t have nuclear weapons, yet. They can’t threaten the United States in that way. Once North Korea had nuclear weapons, once they have missiles that can deliver them to use, I would liken it to past presidents sitting down with Soviet dictators. It’s not something that we should celebrate. It’s not a pretty sight. But it’s a necessary part of the job to try to protect Americans from a terrible threat."[16]
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): “I’m cautiously optimistic. I’ve very pleased with President Trump this far, but we’ve got a long ways to go.”[17]
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): "Today is the beginning of the arduous process. Our eyes are wide open. I support the goals contained in the statement and I remain supportive of the administration's mission. The next steps in negotiations will test whether we can get to a verifiable deal which enhances our relationship with Northeast Asia and our allies. The challenge will take a great deal of hard work. ... I think for these situations to work you have to not want the deal too much. If you fall in love with the deal and it's too important for you to get it ... you could get snookered. And I think the president's fully aware of that."[18]
  • Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.): "U.S. gives up one of our biggest negotiating chips - military exercises. North Korea ends up BACKTRACKING on previous promises on denuclearization. What the hell?"[19]
  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): “In his haste to reach an agreement, President Trump elevated North Korea to the level of the United States while preserving the regime’s status quo."[19]
  • House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.): “Only time will tell if North Korea is serious this time, and in the meantime we must continue to apply maximum economic pressure.”[15]
  • Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.): "President Trump offered Kim Jong-un a different path to the world stage. A path not even thought of by our former leaders — one of economic prosperity instead of failed nuclear destruction. While there is a long way to go to achieve verified denuclearization, I look forward to seeing North Korea become a free, prosperous and demilitarized state. However, if Kim Jong-un throws away this opportunity, it will mean the military destruction of his country and his death."[20]
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): "While very light on substance, the meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un in Singapore represents a positive step in de-escalating tensions between our countries, addressing the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons, and moving toward a more peaceful future. Congress has an important role to play in making sure this is a meaningful and serious process and not just a series of photo ops."[21]
  • Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii): “This is an abdication of American leadership. Just embarrassing.”[19]
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): "What the U.S. has gained is vague and unverifiable at best. What North Korea has gained, however, is tangible and lasting ... We've legitimized a brutal dictator who's starved his own people.”[22]

Responses on the meeting and document from the international community

  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang: "Sanctions are a means, not an end. We believe the [United Nations] Security Council should make efforts to support the current diplomatic efforts and contribute to the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.”[23]
  • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: “We will seek full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions based on the success of this historic meeting.” When asked whether he was concerned by the lack of a specific timetable in the joint statement, Abe said, “First of all, North Korea has clearly committed itself to complete denuclearization. The fact that Chairman Kim Jong Un has made a pledge to President Trump is extremely significant, in my view. And it is written in the joint statement that they will move forward swiftly. It is exactly as those words say: They must move forward swiftly.”[23]
  • President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in: “The June 12 Sentosa Agreement will be recorded as a historic event that has helped break down the last remaining Cold War legacy on earth. It is a great victory achieved by both the United States and the two Koreas, and a huge step forward for people across the world who long for peace. Once again, I would like to pay my respect to President Trump who achieved a feat that no one else has ever delivered.”[24]
  • Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong: “Congratulations on the successful conclusion of an historic summit meeting between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The joint statement that you signed today with Chairman Kim Jong Un is a dramatic step forward. It is a crucial first move in the long journey towards lasting peace and stability on a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.”[24]
  • International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano: “I welcome today’s Joint Statement of President Trump of the United States and Chairman Kim of the DPRK at the Singapore Summit which includes the DPRK’s commitment towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”[24]
  • NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: “NATO welcomes the historic summit between the President of the United States and the leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. NATO strongly supports all efforts leading towards the eventual denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.”[24]

June 4: 2018: Democrats vow to block sanctions relief if requirements for potential deal with North Korea are not met

Democrats released a list of five requirements that any deal President Donald Trump entered into with North Korea had to meet. If the requirements were not met, Democrats said that they would block sanctions relief to North Korea.[25]

Democrats said that any plan entered into by Trump with North Korea had to meet the following criteria:[25]

  • Dismantling or relinquishing all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons;
  • Ending the enrichment of uranium and plutonium and dismantling nuclear infrastructure;
  • Suspending ballistic missile tests;
  • Inspecting for nuclear and missile activity anytime, anywhere in North Korea, and the ability to reimpose sanctions quickly if illicit activity is found; and
  • Assuring that the deal would be permanent.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “We’re all hoping the president will succeed and rooting for peace. If he tries to reach a deal with Kim Jong Un just for the sake of reaching a deal, and the agreement fails to live up the principles we’ve laid out, then he’ll have been bested at the negotiating table yet again.”[25]

Congress has two paths to weighing in on a potential deal. If Trump enters into a treaty, the Senate would have to vote to ratify it. If Trump enters into an agreement, like President Barack Obama (D) did with the Iran nuclear deal, Congress would have to introduce and pass separate legislation to monitor the deal.

June 1, 2018: Trump to meet with Kim on June 12

On June 1, 2018, after meeting with North Korean General Kim Yong Chol in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump said that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would meet on June 12, 2018. He said, “I think it's going to be very successful. They're incredible people. I think it's going to be a very great success. But we'll see what happens. We'll see you on June 12.”[26]

He added that he and Kim would likely meet more than once. He said, "And I think it’ll be a process. It’s not — I never said it goes in one meeting. I think it’s going to be a process. But the relationships are building, and that’s a very positive thing."[27]

When asked if he thought Kim was willing to denuclearize, Trump said, "Yeah, I do think so. He’d like to see it happen. He wants to be careful. He wants to be, you know — he’s not going to run and do things. But I told him, to be honest with you, look, we have sanctions on; they’re very powerful sanctions. We would not take sanctions off unless they did that. But the sanctions are very powerful. You’ve seen how powerful in other ways. You’re going to see how powerful sanctions are when it comes to Iran. You see what that’s doing to Iran. So we have sanctions on. And at a certain point, I’ll tell you what, I look forward to the day when I can take the sanctions off of North Korea."[27]

Trump was also asked if he was willing to end the Korean War during the summit. Trump said, "Well, we could — that could happen. That could happen. We talked about it. ... That’s more of a signing of a document that it’s very important in one way. Historically, it’s very important. But we’ll see. And we did discuss that — the ending of the Korean War. Can you believe that we’re talking about the ending of the Korean War? You’re talking about 70 years."[27]

History of denuclearization negotiations with North Korea

The Clinton administration

In October 1994, the Clinton administration entered into the Agreed Framework with North Korea that required the country to stop the construction of two nuclear reactors. In return, the U.S. gave North Korea “two alternative nuclear power reactors that could be used to provide electricity but not bomb fuel, and 500,000 metric tons of fuel oil annually for the North,” according to the Associated Press. In 1998, North Korea launched a two-stage rocket over Japan.[28]

The Bush administration

In January 2002, President George W. Bush called North Korea part of the “axis of evil,” along with Iran and Iraq. The Agreed Framework ended “after U.S. officials confronted North Korea over a clandestine nuclear program using enriched uranium. Washington stopped the oil shipments and Pyongyang restarted its nuclear weapons program,” according to the Associated Press.[28]

In 2003, North Korea said that it had a nuclear device and withdrew from the Nonproliferation Treaty, which started the six-party talks. The U.S., South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia were able to get North Korea to agree to end its nuclear weapons program in September 2005, but, in October 2006, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test. After the test, the six-nation talks resumed. In February 2007, “the United States and the four other countries reached an agreement to provide North Korea with an aid package worth about $400 million in return for the North disabling its nuclear facilities and allowing international inspectors back into the country. North Korea demolished the cooling tower at its Nyongbyon reactor site in June 2008. But in September, the North declared that it would resume reprocessing plutonium, complaining that Washington wasn’t fulfilling its promise to remove the country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism,” according to the Associated Press. In October 2008, the U.S. removed North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terror, but a final agreement to get North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program was never completed.[28]

The Obama administration

In May 2009, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test. In February 2012, the Obama administration reached a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which Kim agreed to suspend nuclear weapons and missile tests, halt uranium enrichment, and allow international inspectors to monitor its nuclear activities. In exchange, the U.S. sent food aid to North Korea. The deal lasted only months, ending in April 2012 after North Korea launched a long-range rocket. International inspectors said that it violated the deal because it was a test of ballistic missile technology. North Korea launched a second long-range rocket in December 2012.[28]

May 25, 2018: Trump says U.S. discussing summit with North Korea

On May 25, 2018, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. and North Korea were discussing holding the previously canceled June 12, 2018, summit in Singapore. He wrote on Twitter, “We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th., and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date.”[29]

On May 27, 2018, Trump announced that members of his administration had arrived in North Korea to discuss arrangements for his potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He wrote in a tweet, “I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial Nation one day. Kim Jong Un agrees with me on this. It will happen!” On the same day, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone and likely discussed the summit, according to The Hill.[30][31]

On May 29, 2018, Trump was optimistic about the prospects of the summit happening. He wrote in a tweet, “We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea. Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more. Kim Young Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, heading now to New York. Solid response to my letter, thank you!”[32]

May 30, 2018: Pompeo meets with North Korean officials

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean General Kim Yong Chol, a high-ranking official and confidant of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held meetings on May 30-31, 2018, to see if the June 12, 2018, meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim could take place. Pompeo and Kim discussed whether each nation could come to an agreement about denuclearization. The U.S. wanted immediate, complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea wanted a more gradual denuclearization process with the lifting of economic sanctions.[33]

After the meeting, Pompeo said, "In my conversations with Chairman Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang and today with Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol, I have been very clear that President Trump and the United States objective is very consistent and well known: the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. President Trump has also made it clear that if Kim Jong-un denuclearizes, there is a brighter path for North Korea. We envision a strong, connected, and secure, prosperous North Korea that maintains its cultural heritage but is integrated into the community of nations. We think that working together, the people of the United States and North Korea can create a future defined by friendship and collaboration, not by mistrust and fear and threats. We sincerely hope that Chairman Kim Jong-un shares this positive vision for the future."[34]

May 24, 2018: Trump cancels scheduled meeting with Kim

On May 24, 2018, President Donald Trump wrote a letter to North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un informing him that the June 12, 2018, meeting in Singapore was canceled. "I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting," Trump wrote. Trump had previously announced on May 22, 2018, a possible delay in the meeting prior to his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House. The full text of Trump's letter to Kim can be viewed below.[35]

“ We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place. You talk about nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.

I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.

If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.[12]

”
—President Donald J. Trump[36]

Responses

  • North Korea: North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said in a statement that Kim was still willing to talk to Trump at another time. He said, "We reiterate to the US that there is a willingness to sit down at any time, in any way, to solve the problem."[37]
  • Trump responded to North Korea's statement, writing in a tweet, “Very good news to receive the warm and productive statement from North Korea. We will soon see where it will lead, hopefully to long and enduring prosperity and peace. Only time (and talent) will tell!”[38]
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin: "In Russia, we took this news with regret. We had very much counted on it being a significant step in sorting out the situation on the Korean Peninsula and that it would be the beginning of the process of denuclearizing the whole Korean Peninsula."[39]
  • South Korean President Moon Jae-in: "I am very perplexed and it is very regrettable that the North Korea-U.S. summit will not be held on June 12 when it was scheduled to be held. Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace are historic tasks that can neither be abandoned nor delayed."[40]

May 15, 2018: North Korea threatens to cancel meeting

On May 15, 2018, in a statement from the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea said that it was reconsidering meeting with President Donald Trump in response to a planned joint military drill between the U.S. and South Korea. The Korean Central News Agency said in a statement, "The United States will also have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned North Korea-U.S. summit in light of this provocative military ruckus jointly conducted with the South Korean authorities."[41][42][43]

The Pentagon commented on the joint exercises, saying, "The purpose of the training is to enhance the ROK-U.S. Alliance's ability to defend the ROK [Republic of Korea] and enhance interoperability and readiness. While we will not discuss specifics, the defensive nature of these combined exercises has been clear for many decades and has not changed."[43]

During a press conference, when asked about the comments from North Korea, Trump said, "Well, nothing has changed on North Korea that we know of. We have not been told anything. And if it does, that’s fine. If it doesn’t, I think we’ll probably have a very successful meeting. But we have not been told anything. We’re just reading stories like you are. We’ve heard certain things from South Korea. But we’ll see what happens. If the meeting happens, it happens. And if it doesn’t, we go on to the next step."[44]

Trump was also asked about whether the administration was considering using the Libya model in its nuclear negotiations with North Korea, as National Security Advisor John Bolton suggested. In 2011, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was removed from power and killed eight years after striking a deal with the U.S. to give up his nuclear weapons. Trump said, “Well, the Libyan model isn’t a model that we have at all, when we’re thinking of North Korea. In Libya, we decimated that country. That country was decimated. There was no deal to keep Qaddafi. The Libyan model that was mentioned was a much different deal. This would be with Kim Jong-un — something where he’d be there, he’d be in his country, he’d be running his country. His country would be very rich. … If you look at South Korea, this would be, really, a South Korean model in terms of their industry, in terms of what they do. ... We never said to Qaddafi, ‘Oh, we’re going to give you protection. We’re going give you military strength. We’re going to give you all of these things.’ … Now that model would take place if we don’t make a deal, most likely. But if we make a deal, I think Kim Jong-un is going to be very, very happy. … And I think when John Bolton made that statement, he was talking about if we’re going to be having a problem because we cannot let that country have nukes.”[44][45]

When asked if he was willing to give North Korea security guarantees, Trump said, “Well, I’m willing to do — we’re willing to do a lot. And he’s willing to, I think, do a lot also. And I think we’ll actually have a good relationship, assuming we have the meeting, and assuming something comes of it. And he’ll get protections that would be very strong.”[44]

Trump meets with Moon; says meeting with North Korea may be delayed

On May 22, 2018, before a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House, Trump raised the possibility of delaying his meeting with Kim. Trump said that he and Moon would discuss the meeting. He added, "See what happens, whether or not it happens. If it does, that will be great. It will be a great thing for North Korea. And if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. Whatever it is, it is."[46]

When asked if he thought Kim was serious about denuclearization, Trump said, "I do think he’s serious. I think he would like to see that happen. At the same time, he’s going into a future that’s different from what they’ve had. But I think he’s absolutely very serious. Yes."[46]

When asked for an update on the planned meeting with Kim, Trump said, "Well, we’re moving along. And we’ll see what happens. There are certain conditions that we want, and I think we’ll get those conditions. And if we don’t, we don’t have the meeting. And frankly, it has a chance to be a great, great meeting for North Korea and a great meeting for the world. If it doesn’t happen, maybe it will happen later. Maybe it will happen at a different time. But we will see. But we are talking. The meeting is scheduled, as you know, on June 12th in Singapore. And whether or not it happens, you’ll be knowing pretty soon. But we’re talking right now."[46]

When Trump was asked about Kim's meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said that he noticed a change in Kim's attitude. He said, “I will say I’m a little disappointed, because when Kim Jong-un had the meeting with President Xi, in China, the second meeting — the first meeting we knew about — the second meeting — I think there was a little change in attitude from Kim Jong-un. So I don’t like that. I don’t like that. I don’t like it from the standpoint of China. Now, I hope that’s not true, because we have — I have a great relationship with President Xi. He’s a friend of mine. He likes me. I like him. ... We speak a lot. But there was a difference when Kim Jong-un left China the second time.”[46]

Moon praised Trump for his efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and said that he would continue to support Trump in his meeting with Kim. He said, "I would like to congratulate you for the safe return of the American citizens who had been detained in North Korea. Thanks to your vision of achieving peace through strength, as well as your strong leadership, we’re looking forward to the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit. And we find ourselves standing one step closer to the dream of achieving complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and world peace. All this was possible because of you, Mr. President. And I have no doubt that you will be able to complete — accomplish a historic feat that no one had been able to achieve in the decades past. I have to say that the fate and the future of the Korean Peninsula hinge on this. And as such, I’ll spare no effort to the end to support the success of the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit, and stand with you all along the way, Mr. President."[46]

North Korea reiterates threat to call off talks

On May 23, 2018, North Korea’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui threatened to call off the planned meeting between Trump and Kim. She said instead of a meeting the U.S. could face off with North Korea in a “nuclear-to-nuclear showdown." She added that North Korea could “make the U.S. taste an appalling tragedy it has neither experienced nor even imagined.”[47]

Choe also called Vice President Mike Pence “a political dummy" because Pence suggested in an interview that North Korea sought the meeting with Trump and for bringing up Libya as a model for denuclearization in North Korea if the country failed to denuclearize. She said, “Pence should have seriously considered the terrible consequences of his words. As a person involved in the U.S. affairs, I cannot suppress my surprise at such ignorant and stupid remarks gushing out from the mouth of the U.S. vice president. It is the U.S. who has asked for dialogue, but now it is misleading the public opinion as if we have invited them to sit with us. We will neither beg the U.S. for dialogue nor take the trouble to persuade them if they do not want to sit together with us.”[47]

May 12, 2018: North Korea to dismantle its nuclear testing site

On May 12, 2018, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that steps were being taken by the government to dismantle the country's northern nuclear test ground. According to a press release from the ministry, "Dismantlement of the nuclear test ground will be done in the following sequence-making all tunnels of the test ground collapse by explosion; completely blocking entries; removing all observation facilities, research institutes and structures of guard units on the ground." North Korea invited journalists from the U.S., China, Russia, United Kingdom, and South Korea to view the site during a dismantling ceremony between May 23, 2018, and May 25, 2018.[48][49]

President Donald Trump praised the announcement on Twitter, writing, "North Korea has announced that they will dismantle Nuclear Test Site this month, ahead of the big Summit Meeting on June 12th. Thank you, a very smart and gracious gesture!"[48]

May 14, 2018: Researchers verify that North Korea is dismantling nuclear test site

On May 14, 2018, 38 North, a U.S.-based monitor of North Korea, reported that North Korea was dismantling its nuclear test site, according to satellite imagery. The researchers said, “After initial reporting of plans to allow experts and media personnel to observe the closing of North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, now scheduled for next week, commercial satellite imagery from May 7 provided the first definitive evidence that dismantlement of the test site was already well underway.”[50]

According to 38 North's report, operational support buildings were destroyed, several small sheds and outbuildings were removed, and some of the rails for the mining carts were removed. Larger buildings and entrances to the tunnels used for nuclear testing were still intact.[50]

May 24, 2018: Nuclear testing site demolished

North Korea demolished its Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site in front of a crowd of international media, according to Sky. Not present at the demolition, however, were nuclear experts, which North Korea had originally pledged to have on hand during the April 27 summit with South Korea.[51]

May 10, 2018: Trump to meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore

On May 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12, 2018, in Singapore. He wrote on Twitter, "The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!" Singapore was chosen because it had diplomatic relations with both the U.S. and North Korea.[52][2]

May 9, 2018: North Korea releases three U.S. prisoners

On May 9, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo secured the release of three Americans held as prisoners in North Korea. Trump wrote on Twitter, "I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health. Also, good meeting with Kim Jong Un. Date & Place set. Secretary Pompeo and his 'guests' will be landing at Andrews Air Force Base at 2:00 A.M. in the morning. I will be there to greet them. Very exciting!"[53]

The three men released were Kim Dong-chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak-song. They were imprisoned on charges of espionage or other anti-state activities against North Korea.[54]

Pompeo was on his second visit to North Korea to prepare for the meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un. Pompeo told reporters that he was hoping "to put in place a framework for a successful summit between the two presidents" and make sure that both sides were clear about the expectations of the meeting. He said, "We’re not going to relieve sanctions until such time as we achieved our objectives. We are not going to do this in small increments, where the world is essentially coerced into relieving economic pressure. That won’t lead to the outcome that I know Kim Jong-un wants and I know President Trump is demanding, so we’re hoping to set out that set of conditions that will give them this opportunity to have a historic, big change in the security relationship between North Korea and the United States, which will achieve what the President has tweeted about and talked about: complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization."[55]

March 8, 2018: Trump agrees to meet with Kim

On March 8, 2018, South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong announced that President Donald Trump accepted an invitation to meet directly with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement followed talks earlier in the week between South Korea and North Korea. North Korea “also signaled that it would not test missiles anymore and would be willing to negotiate ending its nuclear weapons program,” according to Politico.[56]

Chung said that Kim "stressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the greeting and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization."[56]

Trump tweeted about the announcement, writing, "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!"[57]

On March 9, 2018, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the U.S.-North Korea meeting would not "take place without concrete actions that match the promises that have been made by North Korea." Sanders did not specify what actions the administration expected.[58]

At the time of the announcement, a sitting U.S. president had never met with a North Korean leader. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter (D) and Bill Clinton (D) both met with Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather, after they left the White House.[59]

Kim prepared to discuss denuclearization

On April 8, 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that North Korea told U.S. officials that Kim would discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during his meeting with Trump. “The U.S. has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” a Trump administration official said.[3]

Joseph DeTrani, who served as the U.S. special envoy to the Six Party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program from 2003 to 2006 said, "Kim Jong Un being willing to discuss denuclearization is a good development given that in the past he has said that denuclearization was not possible. We now have to discuss whether his definition of denuclearization is similar to ours, which is complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of all of their nuclear weapons and weapons programs."[3]

Pompeo meets with Kim

On April 18, 2018, Trump said that CIA Director Mike Pompeo met with Kim. He wrote in a tweet, "Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!" A White House official clarified that the meeting took place the during Easter weekend. Pompeo was the highest-level U.S. official known to have met with a North Korean leader since 2000 when then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Kim Jong Il.[60][61][62]

Trump discusses meeting with Kim

During a press conference on April 18, 2018, Trump was asked about his expected meeting with Kim. Trump said, “We’ve never been in a position like this with that regime, and I hope to have a very successful meeting. ... If we don’t think it’s going to be successful...we won’t have it. If I think that it’s a meeting that’s not going to be fruitful. I won’t go. If the meeting when I’m there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave.”[63]

Kim will stop nuclear and missile tests

On April 20, 2018, North Korean state media reported that Kim would halt nuclear and missile tests and close one of the country's nuclear test sites. The announcement came shortly before Kim was expected to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae.[64]

Trump calls Kim honorable

On April 24, 2018, Trump said that Kim was an honorable person. He said, “He really has been very open and, I think, very honorable from everything we're seeing."[65]

Trump also spoke about his planned meeting with Kim and reiterated his stance that he would walk away from the talks if they were not productive. He said, "Unlike past administrations, I will leave the table. But I think we have the chance to do something very special."[65]

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in discuss peace agreement

On April 27, 2018, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in met in the demilitarized zone to discuss a peace agreement between the two nations. In a joint statement, called the Panmunjom Declaration, they discussed formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, restarting reunions of families separated by the war, further opening lines of communication, starting talks with the U.S., and denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.[66]

After signing the joint declaration, Kim said, “We will work towards preventing another horrible war. With one language, one culture and one history, North and South Korea will be joined as one nation.”[66]

Trump commented on the meeting, writing on Twitter, "After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!"[67]

Trump also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his help with North Korea. He wrote, "Please do not forget the great help that my good friend, President Xi of China, has given to the United States, particularly at the Border of North Korea. Without him it would have been a much longer, tougher, process!"[68]

On April 29, 2018, South Korea’s presidential office said that during their meeting, Kim told Moon that he would shut down his nuclear test site by May and allow other countries to verify its closure. Kim also said that he would give up his nuclear weapons in exchange for a security guarantee from the U.S. “Why would we need to live under such difficult conditions with nuclear weapons if we’re able to build trust with the U.S. at future meetings, and the U.S. promises nonaggression and an end to the Korean War?” Kim was quoted as telling Moon by Yoon Young-chan, a spokesman for South Korea’s presidential office.[69]

Moon says Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize

On April 30, 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Trump deserved to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to get North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program. Moon said, “President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. What we need is only peace.” Moon's comments came after he and Kim Jong Un agreed to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.[70]

Trump: Withdrawing troops from South Korea not up for discussion with Kim

On May 4, 2018, Trump said that he would not discuss reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea during his talks with Kim. He added that he might consider it in the future. He said, “Now, I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money. You know, we have 32,000 troops there, but I think a lot a great things will happen, but troops are not on the table.”[71]

Around 28,000 soldiers were stationed on the Korean peninsula as of May 2018. According to The Hill, "South Korea currently pays more than $800 million a year, or about half the cost of upkeep, under an agreement with the United States that expires at the end of the year. The Trump administration says South Korea should pay the entire bill for keeping troops in the area."[71]

Pompeo travels to North Korea

On May 8, 2018, Trump said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to North Korea to prepare for Trump's meeting with Kim. Trump said, "At this very moment, Secretary Pompeo is on his way to North Korea in preparation for my upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un. Plans are being made, relationships are building. Hopefully, a deal will happen. And with the help of China, South Korea, and Japan, a future of great prosperity and security can be achieved for everyone."[72]

February 23, 2018: Treasury Department announces sanctions targeting shipping and trading companies that do business with North Korea

On February 23, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions targeting shipping and trading companies that conducted business with North Korea. The sanctions targeted "one individual, 27 entities, and 28 vessels located, registered, or flagged in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama, and Comoros." A full list of the sanctions can be viewed here.[73]

In a statement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, "Treasury is aggressively targeting all illicit avenues used by North Korea to evade sanctions, including taking decisive action to block the vessels, shipping companies, and entities across the globe that work on North Korea’s behalf. This will significantly hinder the Kim regime’s capacity to conduct evasive maritime activities that facilitate illicit coal and fuel transports, and erode its abilities to ship goods through international waters. The President has made it clear to companies worldwide that if they choose to help fund North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, they will not do business with the United States."[73]

Speaking about the sanctions, President Donald Trump said, "If the sanctions don’t work, we’ll have to go to phase two." He added that that alternative policy "may be a very rough thing, it may be very, very unfortunate for the world."[74]

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) criticized the administration for not doing enough to punish China for continuing to trade with North Korea. Markey said, "China, the biggest enabler of North Korea’s destabilizing activities, only gets a slap on the wrist, escaping any punishment in this package." According to The Wall Street Journal, "Despite its success at the U.N., the U.S. has still struggled to get several key U.N. members, notably China and Russia, to fully enforce the sanctions. The U.S., for example, asked a U.N. sanctions committee to list 18 ships as sanctions violators, but China prevented 10 of those ships from being designated, officials disclosed Thursday. The sanctions committee operates by consensus, so China effectively has a veto over which ships get listed."[74]

Mnuchin said the United States had issued 450 sanctions against North Korea, according to The Hill.[75]

January 24, 2018: Treasury Department places sanctions on North Korea for development of weapons program

On January 24, 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 16 individuals, nine entities, and six vessels for financing or supporting North Korea's weapons of mass destruction programs and other illicit businesses.[76]

In a statement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, "Treasury continues to systematically target individuals and entities financing the Kim regime and its weapons programs, including officials complicit in North Korean sanctions evasion schemes. Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolutions, the U.S. government is targeting illicit actors in China, Russia, and elsewhere who are working on behalf of North Korean financial networks, and calling for their expulsion from the territories where they reside. We are sanctioning additional oil, shipping, and trading companies that continue to provide a lifeline to North Korea to fuel this regime's nuclear ambitions and destabilizing activities."[76]

December 18, 2017: National Security Strategy report says U.S. "ready to respond with overwhelming force"

On December 18, 2017, the Trump administration released a document entitled "National Security Strategy of the United States of America," which outlined the administration's primary national security concerns and its strategy for addressing them.[77]

The document said, "The United States is deploying a layered missile defense system focused on North Korea and Iran to defend our homeland against missile attacks. This system will include the ability to defeat missile threats prior to launch." It also stated, "We remain ready to respond with overwhelming force to North Korean aggression and will improve options to compel denuclearization of the peninsula."[77]

November 28, 2017: North Korea fires ballistic missile with trajectory that could possibly hit Washington, D.C.

On November 28, 2017, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that had the trajectory to hit Washington, D.C. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that the missile “went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they've taken. … The bottom line is it is a continued effort to build a ballistic missile threat that endangers world peace, regional peace and certainly the United States.”[78]

Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif., said that the missile trajectory could put Washington, D.C., within range of a North Korean missile strike.[79]

David Wright, a physicist and co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, agreed with Hanham, but he added that if the missile had a heavier nuclear warhead, it would not be able to reach Washington, D.C.[79]

According to The Wall Street Journal, “Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the missile appeared to break up before landing, suggesting the launch may not have been a successful test of an atmospheric re-entry vehicle for a missile warhead, a key technical step North Korea needs to overcome to prove it can threaten the U.S. with a nuclear-tipped weapon.”[79]

Speaking about the missile launch, President Donald Trump said, “We will take care of it.” He did not offer any information about possible future actions.[78]

Haley calls on UN member states to isolate North Korea

On November 30, 2017, after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called on UN member states to adhere to all existing UN sanctions against North Korea and to cut off all diplomatic ties with North Korea. Haley said that the UN should take away North Korea’s UN Rights and Privileges and its voting powers. She also called on China to stop supplying North Korea with crude oil.[80]

Haley concluded her speech by issuing the following warning: “The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday. And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.”[80]

November 20, 2017: Trump says he will declare North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism

On November 20, 2017, President Donald Trump said that he would declare North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism. North Korea joined Iran, Sudan, and Syria on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. In 2008, North Korea was taken off the list during nuclear negotiations with the George W. Bush administration.[81][82]

According to the State Department, "Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act. Taken together, the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions."[82]

November 7, 2017: Trump becomes first president to visit Republic of Korea in 25 years; discusses North Korea with President Moon Jae-in

See also: Donald Trump’s trip to Asia, November 2017

On November 7, 2017, during his first trip to Asia as president, President Donald Trump met and had lunch with service members from the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) at Camp Humphreys near Anjeong-ri, ROK. Trump then participated in a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference with President Moon Jae-in. The leaders discussed North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and bringing peace to the Korean peninsula.[83][84]

During the press conference, Moon thanked Trump for visiting the ROK and noted that it was the first state visit by the U.S. president to the ROK in 25 years. They then reaffirmed the U.S.-ROK alliance and called on North Korea to end its nuclear weapons and missile programs and discuss denuclearization.

Moon said, “President Trump has reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to defend Korea, and President Trump and I agreed to further strengthen the robust combined defense posture of our two countries. In this regard, President Trump and I agreed to expend rotational deployment of U.S. strategic assets in and around Korean Peninsula. … Once again, we strongly urge North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile provocation, and to come to a dialogue table for denuclearization as soon as possible. President Trump and I reaffirmed our current strategy, which is to maximize pressure and sanctions on North Korea until it gives up nuclear weapons and to come to the table for dialogue on its own.”[84]

When asked if he thought his administration’s diplomatic strategy for handling North Korea was working, Trump said, “I think we're making a lot of progress. I think we're showing great strength. I think they understand we have unparalleled strength. There has never been strength like it. You know we sent three of the largest aircraft carriers in the world, and they're right now positioned. We have a nuclear submarine also positioned. We have many things happening that we hope, we hope -- in fact, I'll go a step further, we hope to God we never have to use. With that being said, I really believe that it makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and to make a deal that's good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world.”[84]

When asked if direct talks with North Korea were on the table, Trump said, “I don't want to say that.”[84]

Trump’s call for negotiations was a departure from his previous comments on North Korea. In a series of tweets on October 3, 2017, Trump wrote, "I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man. Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done! Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail."[85][86][87]

During the press conference, Trump asked all nations to help combat the North Korean nuclear aggression. He said, “North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires worldwide action. We call on every responsible nation, including China and Russia, to demand that the North Korean regime end its nuclear weapons and its missile programs, and live in peace. … All nations must implement U.N. Security Council regulations and cease trade and business entirely with North Korea. It is unacceptable that nations would help to arm and finance this increasingly dangerous regime. As we work together to resolve this problem using all available tools short of military action, the United States stands prepared to defend itself and its allies using the full range of our unmatched military capabilities if need be.”[84]

Trump forced to abandon secret trip to DMZ because of weather

While en route to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North Korea and the Republic of Korea, Trump had to abandon the secretly planned and unannounced visit because of bad weather.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “This did not work out as planned." She added that it was “something the president wanted to do.”[88]

According to Politico, "Trump was supposed to be joined by South Korean president Moon Jae-in, the first time an American and South Korean president had visited the DMZ together."[88]

Trump delivers speech to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

During his visit to the Republic of Korea, Trump spoke to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Trump praised the ROK for its success and compared it to North Korea. He said, "North Korea is a country ruled as a cult. At the center of this military cult is a deranged belief in the leader’s destiny to rule as parent protector over a conquered Korean Peninsula and an enslaved Korean people. The more successful South Korea becomes, the more decisively you discredit the dark fantasy at the heart of the Kim regime. In this way, the very existence of a thriving South Korean republic threatens the very survival of the North Korean dictatorship. This city and this assembly are living proof that a free and independent Korea not only can, but does stand strong, sovereign, and proud among the nations of the world."[89]

Trump also issued a warning to North Korea if it continued to provoke the U.S. and its allies. He said, "America does not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will never run from it. History is filled with discarded regimes that have foolishly tested America’s resolve. Anyone who doubts the strength or determination of the United States should look to our past, and you will doubt it no longer. We will not permit America or our allies to be blackmailed or attacked. We will not allow American cities to be threatened with destruction. We will not be intimidated. And we will not let the worst atrocities in history be repeated here, on this ground, we fought and died so hard to secure."[89]

Trump concluded his speech by calling on every nation to isolate North Korea. He said, "All responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North Korea -- to deny it and any form -- any form of it. You cannot support, you cannot supply, you cannot accept. We call on every nation, including China and Russia, to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions, downgrade diplomatic relations with the regime, and sever all ties of trade and technology."[89]

On November 9, 2017, during an interview on CNN, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said that Trump's show of military force and diplomacy in dealing with North Korea was an important moment in his trip. When asked about the outcome of Trump's trip, Albright said, "I think that he will be gathering as much help as possible [to deal with North Korea]. And I think the combination, and I had to say that some of the things that happened when he was in Seoul were very important in terms of showing that we had the military strength with three aircraft carrier strike groups and a submarine and all that."[90]

When asked if she thought the aircraft carriers got North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's attention, Albright said, "Well, I think what is important is to realize the tools in the toolbox. You have to use a combination of diplomacy, which I do think there were some beginnings in that in terms of saying that they should talk, and kind of the support of force. But you have to be careful in the way that you kind of syncopate those two particular tools."[90]

October 24, 2017: House passes Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act

On October 24, 2017, the House passed the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act by a vote of 415-2. The bill proposed directing the U.S. Department of the Treasury to prohibit U.S. financial institutions from knowingly engaging in a transaction with any person or entity that would benefit the North Korean government. It also proposed cutting off financial assistance to foreign governments that failed to prevent transactions that benefited the North Korean regime. The legislation was named after Otto Warmbier, a college student who died In June 2017, after suffering brain damage while imprisoned in North Korea.[91]

September 21, 2017: Trump issues executive order placing economic sanctions on any individual or entity doing business with Pyongyang

On September 21, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that placed economic sanctions on any individual or entity doing business with Pyongyang. The executive order gave the Treasury secretary the authority to ban any individual or entity, including foreign banks, from the U.S. financial system that was found to be conducting business or trading with North Korea. The order also banned ships and aircraft that visited North Korea and ships that engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with a ship that visited North Korea from entering the U.S. for 180 days.[92]

Speaking about the sanctions, Trump said, “Foreign banks will face a clear choice: doing business with the United States or facilitate trade with the lawless regime in North Korea."[93]

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley also weighed in on the sanctions.

Mnuchin said, “For far too long, North Korea has evaded sanctions and used the international financial system to facilitate funding for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. No bank—in any country—should be used to facilitate Kim Jong Un’s destructive behavior.”[93]

Haley said, “What this does is take it a step further. This says that anyone that deals with North Korea, any financial institution that deals with North Korea, is going to be punished.”[93]

September 19, 2017: Trump says "Rocket Man" Kim Jong Un is on a suicide mission

On September 19, 2017, in his first address to the United Nations, President Donald Trump called on member nations to isolate North Korea and force the country to denuclearize. He also warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un against attacking the U.S. and its allies. Trump's remarks on North Korea appear below.

“ The scourge of our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principle on which the United Nations is based. They respect neither their own citizens nor the sovereign rights of their countries.

If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph. When decent people and nations become bystanders to history, the forces of destruction only gather power and strength.

No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the wellbeing of their own people than the depraved regime in North Korea. It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans, and for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more.

We were all witness to the regime's deadly abuse when an innocent American college student, Otto Warmbier, was returned to America only to die a few days later. We saw it in the assassination of the dictator's brother using banned nerve agents in an international airport. We know it kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea's spies.

If this is not twisted enough, now North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.

It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply, and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict. No nation on earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.

The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about; that’s what the United Nations is for. Let’s see how they do.

It is time for North Korea to realize that the denuclearization is its only acceptable future. The United Nations Security Council recently held two unanimous 15-0 votes adopting hard-hitting resolutions against North Korea, and I want to thank China and Russia for joining the vote to impose sanctions, along with all of the other members of the Security Council. Thank you to all involved.

But we must do much more. It is time for all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior.[12]

”
—President Donald Trump[94]

August 8, 2017: North Korea threatens Guam

On August 8, 2017, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. would use military action if North Korea continued to threaten the United States. "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," he said.[95]

In response, the North Korean military announced on August 9, 2017, that it was developing a plan for a possible missile strike against the U.S. island territory Guam to be delivered to Kim Jong Un by mid-August.[96]

North Korean state media reported on August 15, 2017, that Kim would not follow through on his threat to fire missiles toward Guam. Kim said that he would consider attacking the U.S. in the future "if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions."[97]

The Wall Street Journal reported that Kim's decision could have been driven by a combination of messaging from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis and China taking steps to impose U.N.-backed sanctions on North Korea.[98]

July 5, 2017: U.S. conducts military exercises with South Korea

The United States conducted a joint military exercise with South Korea on July 5, 2017, one day after North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that it claimed could reach the United States. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of American forces in Seoul, South Korea, discussed the state of U.S.-North Korea relations, saying, “Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war. As this alliance missile live-fire shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance national leaders."[99]

The following day, President Donald Trump discussed the U.S. response to North Korea at the G20 summit in Warsaw. He said, “We have some pretty severe things we’re thinking about, but I don’t want to do them. I don't draw red lines."[100]

June 13, 2017: Warmbier released from North Korea

Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea in 2016, was released on June 13, 2017, following diplomatic efforts by the State Department to return him to the United States. In February 2017, President Donald Trump instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to do whatever he could to secure the release of all four Americans detained in North Korea, including Warmbier. Joseph Yun, the special representative for North Korea policy, was principally responsible for Warmbier's release after it was discovered he was in a coma in June 2017.[101][102]

Warmbier died shortly after he returned to the U.S. on June 19, 2017.[103]

April 24, 2017: Trump calls for greater U.N. sanctions on North Korea

On April 24, 2017, with the threat of another missile test from North Korea, President Donald Trump addressed 15 members of the United Nations Security Council. He called for additional sanctions against the country. "The status quo in North Korea is also unacceptable ... The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Trump said.[104]

The United States' U.N. envoy also warned that military action could be possible if North Korea attacked a U.S. military base or tested an intercontinental missile.[104]

On the same day, Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone. Xi called for restraint from both the United States and North Korea.[105]

Following Trump's meeting with the U.N. Security Council members, the Trump administration announced that all 100 members of the United States Senate would attend a briefing at the White House on about North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis were slated to lead the briefing.[106]

April 19, 2017: Pence warns Pyongyang against using nuclear weapons

On April 19, 2017, Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea that a conventional or nuclear weapons attack would be met with force from the U.S. Standing aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in U.S. Yokosuka naval base in Tokyo Bay, Pence said, "The United States of America will always seek peace but under President Trump, the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready. ... Those who would challenge our resolve or readiness should know, we will defeat any attack and meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective American response." Pence added that the Trump administration would work with Japan, China, and other global powers to prevent Pyongyang from attempting a conventional or nuclear weapons attack.[107]

April 16, 2017: Pence visits demilitarized zone and Seoul

Two days after North Korea conducted a failed ballistic missile launch, Vice President Mike Pence visited the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea on April 16, 2017. "We're going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience. But we're going to redouble our efforts to bring diplomatic and economic pressure to bear on North Korea. Our hope is that we can resolve this issue peaceably," Pence said.[108]

Speaking in Seoul, South Korea, later that day, Pence highlighted the United States' willingness to use military force if necessary. "Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new President in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan. North Korea would do well not to test his resolve—or the strength of the Armed Forces of the United States in this region. ... And as our Secretary of Defense made clear here in South Korea not long ago, we will defeat any attack, and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response," Pence said.[109]

In New York, North Korean diplomat Kim In Ryong criticized the United States for sending a Navy carrier strike group to the Pacific. He said, "It has created a dangerous situation in which thermonuclear war may break out at any moment on the peninsula and poses a serious threat to world peace and security."[110]

USS Carl Vinson Strike Group

After North Korea fired a test missile on April 5, 2017, Trump said that he was sending the USS Carl Vinson Strike Group to the Korean peninsula as a warning to leaders in Pyongyang. On April 12, 2017, Trump said to Chinese President Xi Jinping, “We have ships heading there. We have the nuclear subs, which are far more destructive.” However, the carrier strike group continued to Australia to complete training there instead of reversing course and heading to the Korean peninsula. According to the BBC, it was unclear if Trump's statement was a "deliberate deception, a change of plan or simple miscommunication."[111][112]

On April 18, 2017, the U.S. military's Pacific Command said that the strike group was "proceeding to the Western Pacific as ordered."[113]

The White House said that it was not misleading in its statements about the location of the strike group. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, “The president said we have an armada going toward the peninsula. That’s a fact. It happened. It is happening, rather.”[112]

The Pentagon also released a statement about the strike group, saying, “We communicated this badly. We, the department, communicated this badly.”[112]

Secretary of Defense James Mattis commented on the confusion, saying, “The bottom line is, in our efforts to always be open about what we’re doing, we said that we were going to change the Vinson’s schedule. We don’t generally give out ships’ schedules in advance, but I didn’t want to play a game either and say we weren’t changing a schedule when in fact we had." Mattis added that the Pentagon does not usually discuss the movements of ships and that “the Pentagon normally wouldn’t tell the White House exactly what dates ships will be where anyway.”[112]

Bonnie Glaser, senior advisor for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, commented on the administration's handling of the location of the Carl Vinson, saying, “At the end of the day it resulted in confused strategic communication that has made our allies nervous. If you don’t have a consistency with your actual strategy and what you’re doing with your military, that doesn’t seem terribly convincing.”[114]

North Korea threatens to attack U.S. strike group

On April 24, 2017, North Korea threatened to attack the USS Carl Vinson Strike Group. South Korea's Korea Herald reported that Uriminzokkiri, North Korea’s state-run news outlet, said, “The world would clearly see how the US' rash, arrogant aircraft carriers turn into a lump of scrap metal and gets buried at sea, and how the country vanishes from the Earth. Our super-hard-line responses include sudden, pre-emptive strikes involving land, naval, underwater and airmobile assets."[115]

February 2017: Informal talks with North Korea canceled

Informal talks with a North Korean delegation scheduled for the end of February 2017 were canceled following reports from the Malaysian government that VX nerve agent, a chemical classified as a weapon of mass destruction, was used to assassinate Kim Jong Un's brother, Kim Jong Nam, earlier in the month. The last time policymakers from the U.S. and North Korea met in the U.S. in an informal setting was 2012.[116]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 10, 2018
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Hill, "Trump says he will meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore," May 10, 2018
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea Ready to Discuss Denuclearization, U.S. Officials Say," April 8, 2018
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Associated Press, "The Latest: US commits to ‘security guarantees’ for NKorea," June 12, 2018
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 WhiteHouse.gov, "Press Conference by President Trump," June 12, 2018
  6. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address," February 5, 2019
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Wall Street Journal, "Trump, North Korea’s Kim End Nuclear Summit Early Without Agreement," February 28, 2019
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 State.gov, "Secretary Pompeo's Meetings in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea," October 7, 2018
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Hill, "Trump and Kim sign 'comprehensive' document to end summit," June 12, 2018
  10. ↑ Politico, "Trump, Kim sign 'comprehensive' document," June 11, 2018
  11. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, “Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit,” June 12, 2018
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  13. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Trump’s ‘War Game’ Stoppage Creates Confusion," June 12, 2018
  14. ↑ Twitter, "Cory Gardner," June 12, 2018
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Wall Street Journal, "GOP Lawmakers Optimistic About Korea Talks Amid Concerns Over Lack of Details," June 12, 2018
  16. ↑ The Hill, "GOP senator on Trump-Kim summit: It's not a pretty sight," June 12, 2018
  17. ↑ Twitter, "TODAY Show," June 12, 2018
  18. ↑ The Hill, "McConnell: North Korea summit beginning of an 'arduous process,'" June 12, 2018
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 The Hill, "Dems rip Trump concessions, 'embarrassing' rhetoric with Kim," June 12, 2018
  20. ↑ The Hill, "GOP lawmaker: It will mean 'Kim's death' if he throws away Trump opportunity," June 12, 2018
  21. ↑ The Hill, "Bernie Sanders: Trump-Kim summit a 'positive step,'" June 12, 2018
  22. ↑ The Hill, "GOP senators: We want vote on any North Korea deal," June 12, 2018
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Wall Street Journal, "Trump, Kim Begin New Phase of Diplomacy," June 12, 2018
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 WhiteHouse.gov, "WTAS: Support For President Donald J. Trump’s Summit With North Korea," June 12, 2018
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 The Hill, "Dems pledge to block sanctions relief if North Korea deal doesn't meet key principles," June 4, 2018
  26. ↑ Politico, "Trump says summit with Kim is back on after meeting with North Korea's No. 2," June 1, 2018
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump after Meeting with Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea," June 1, 2018
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Associated Press, "Road to N. Korea’s denuclearization is littered with failure," April 22, 2018
  29. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 25, 2018
  30. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 27, 2018
  31. ↑ The Hill, "Five signs the US-North Korea summit might still happen," May 26, 2018
  32. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 29, 2018
  33. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Talks Aim to Put Summit With North Korea on Track," May 31, 2018
  34. ↑ State.gov, "Remarks at a Press Availability," May 31, 2018
  35. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named trumpcancel
  36. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Letter to Chairman Kim Jong Un," May 24, 2018
  37. ↑ The Hill, "North Korea says it is still open to talks after Trump cancels summit," May 24, 2018
  38. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 25, 2018
  39. ↑ The Hill, "Putin defends North Korea over canceled summit," May 24, 2018
  40. ↑ The Hill, "South Korean president 'perplexed' at Trump's decision to cancel North Korea summit," May 24, 2018
  41. ↑ CNN, "North Korea warns US as it suspends South Korea talks over military drills," May 16, 2018
  42. ↑ Bloomberg, "Trump Says ‘We’ll Have to See’ If Kim Summit Goes On," May 16, 2018
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 The Hill, "North Korea warns US it could pull out of planned summit with Trump," May 15, 2018
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump and Secretary General Stoltenberg of NATO Before Bilateral Meeting," May 17, 2018
  45. ↑ The Hill, "Trump offers 'protections' if Kim surrenders nukes," May 17, 2018
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump and President Moon of the Republic of Korea Before Bilateral Meeting," May 22, 2018
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea Threatens to Call Off Summit, Calls Pence a ‘Political Dummy,'" May 25, 2018
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Politico, "Trump praises North Korea's move to dismantle its nuclear testing site," May 12, 2018
  49. ↑ KCNA Watch, "Press Release of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Democratic People's Republic of Korea," May 12, 2018
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 The Hill, "North Korea has begun dismantling nuclear test site: analysis," May 14, 2018
  51. ↑ NPR, "North Korea Demolishes Its Nuclear Test Site In A 'Huge Explosion,'" May 24, 2018
  52. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 10, 2018
  53. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," May 9, 2018
  54. ↑ The Hill, "Trump says US detainees in North Korea have been freed," May 9, 2018
  55. ↑ State.gov, "Remarks to the Traveling Press," May 8, 2018
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 Politico, "Trump agrees to meet Kim Jong Un, South Korean official says," March 8, 2018
  57. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," March 8, 2018
  58. ↑ The Hill, "White House: North Korea must take 'steps' before Trump-Kim meeting," March 9, 2018
  59. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Trump Agrees to Meet North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un," March 8, 2018
  60. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," April 18, 2018
  61. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "CIA Director Mike Pompeo Met North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to Discuss Summit," April 18, 2018
  62. ↑ The Hill, "Dems give muted praise to Pompeo-Kim meeting," April 18, 2018
  63. ↑ The Hill, "Trump: If North Korea meeting isn't going well, I'll leave," April 18, 2018
  64. ↑ The Hill, "North Korea to stop nuclear tests and missile launches: state media," April 20, 2018
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 The Hill, "Trump calls Kim Jong Un 'very honorable,'" April 24, 2018
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and South Korean Leader to Pursue Peace Deal, Denuclearization," April 27, 2018
  67. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," April 27, 2018
  68. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," April 27, 2018
  69. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea Vows to Shut Down Nuclear Test Site, Seoul Says," April 29, 2018
  70. ↑ Reuters, "South Korea president says Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize," April 30, 2018
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 The Hill, "Trump: Troop withdrawal from South Korea 'not on the table,'" May 4, 2018
  72. ↑ Politico, "Trump says Pompeo headed to North Korea to prepare for Kim Jong Un summit," May 8, 2018
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 Treasury.gov, "Treasury Announces Largest North Korean Sanctions Package Targeting 56 Shipping and Trading Companies and Vessels to Further Isolate Rogue Regime," February 23, 2018
  74. ↑ 74.0 74.1 The Wall Street Journal, "White House Unveils 'Largest Ever' Set of Sanctions on North Korea," February 23, 2018
  75. ↑ The Hill, "Five things to know about Trump's new North Korea sanctions," February 25, 2018
  76. ↑ 76.0 76.1 Treasury.gov, "Treasury Sanctions North Korean Overseas Representatives, Shipping Companies, and Chinese Entities Supporting the Kim Regime," January 24, 2018
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 The White House, "National Security Strategy of the United States of America," December 2017
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 The Hill, "North Korea fires ballistic missile," November 28, 2017
  79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 79.2 The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea ICBM Launch Could Put Washington, D.C., Within Reach," November 28, 2017
  80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 USUN.State.gov, "Remarks at an Emergency UN Security Council Meeting on North Korea," November 30, 2017
  81. ↑ The Hill, "Trump will declare North Korea a state sponsor of terror," November 20, 2017
  82. ↑ 82.0 82.1 State.gov, "State Sponsors of Terrorism," accessed November 20, 2017
  83. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump Before Operational Briefing at Camp Humphreys," November 7, 2017
  84. ↑ 84.0 84.1 84.2 84.3 84.4 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump and President Moon of the Republic of Korea in Joint Press Conference | Seoul, Republic of Korea," November 7, 2017
  85. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," October 3, 2017
  86. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," October 3, 2017
  87. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," October 3, 2017
  88. ↑ 88.0 88.1 Politico, "Trump forced to abandon secret trip to DMZ due to weather," November 7, 2017
  89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 89.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea | Seoul, Republic of Korea," November 7, 2017
  90. ↑ 90.0 90.1 CNN, "Albright: Use all the tools with N. Korea," November 9, 2017
  91. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3898 - Impeding North Korea's Access to Finance Act of 2017," accessed October 26, 2017
  92. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Presidential Executive Order on Imposing Additional Sanctions with Respect to North Korea," September 21, 2017
  93. ↑ 93.0 93.1 93.2 The Wall Street Journal, "Trump Expands U.S. Sanctions on Dealings With North Korea," September 21, 2017
  94. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump to the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly," September 19, 2017
  95. ↑ The New York Times, "Trump’s Threat to North Korea Was Improvised," August 9, 2017
  96. ↑ CNN, "North Korea 'seriously examining' a strike near Guam," August 9, 2017
  97. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "North Korean ruler stands down on threat to Guam, but could change his mind 'if the Yankees persist,'" August 14, 2017
  98. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea Backs Off Threat to Hit Guam," August 14, 2017
  99. ↑ The New York Times, "‘Self-Restraint’ Is Only Thing Stopping War With North Korea, U.S. General Says," July 5, 2017
  100. ↑ USA Today, "Trump warns of 'severe' consequences for North Korea, but won't draw 'red lines,'" July 6, 2017
  101. ↑ CNN, "How the US secured Otto Warmbier's release from North Korea," June 13, 2017
  102. ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Diplomacy Got Warmbier Home," June 15, 2017
  103. ↑ The New York Times, "Otto Warmbier, American Student Released From North Korea, Dies," June 19, 2017
  104. ↑ 104.0 104.1 Reuters, "U.S. submarine makes South Korea port call, North remains defiant," April 24, 2017
  105. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "In call to Trump, Chinese leader urges U.S. restraint over North Korea," April 24, 2017
  106. ↑ The Guardian, "Trump summons entire Senate to White House briefing on North Korea," April 24, 2017
  107. ↑ ABC News, "US VP Pence says to North Korea: 'The sword stands ready,'" April 19, 2017
  108. ↑ CNN, "On North Korean border, Pence tells CNN US will drop 'failed policy,'" April 17, 2017
  109. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by the Vice President and South Korean Acting President Hwang at a Joint Press Statement," April 17, 2017
  110. ↑ CNN, "North Korean envoy at UN warns of nuclear war possibility," April 17, 2017
  111. ↑ BBC, "North Korea tension: China 'seriously concerned' about nuclear threats," accessed April 19, 2017
  112. ↑ 112.0 112.1 112.2 112.3 The Wall Street Journal, "White House Says It Didn’t Mislead Allies About Timing of Carrier’s Korea Heading," accessed April 20, 2017
  113. ↑ Reuters, "As Trump warned North Korea, his 'armada' was headed toward Australia," April 19, 2017
  114. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Carl Vinson Carrier Wasn’t on Way to North Korea," April 18, 2017
  115. ↑ NPR, "North Korea Threatens To Sink U.S. Carrier; China Urges Restraint," April 24, 2017
  116. ↑ CNN, "Trump administration nixes informal talks with North Korea," February 26, 2017
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