North Korea To Work Towards Denuclearisation Following Historic US Summit

The two leaders meet in front of US and North Korean flags (Picture: PA).

A historic summit between the US and North Korea has taken place in Singapore, which will see the country work towards denuclearisation.

It was the first meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shook hands and posed for pictures in front of US and North Korean flags.

Mr Trump then directed Mr Kim to walk down a hallway, where they briefly spoke before the leaders held a 40 minute meeting, only joined by their interpreters. 

Mr Trump predicted that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will have "a terrific relationship" after meeting face-to-face for the first time. 

He said the one-on-one meeting with Mr Kim was "very, very good" and that the two have an "excellent relationship".

The meeting was then opened up to adivsers where President Trump was flanked by chief of staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton. They sat across the table from Mr Kim and his team. 

A video shared by the US Department of State showed Donald Trump shaking Mr Kim's hand over the table.

The president said:

"Mr Chairman, it's a great honour to be with you and I know we'll have tremendous success together and we'll solve a big problem - a big dilemma - that until this point has been unable to be solved, and working together we'll get it taken care of."

President Trump said the summit went "better than anybody could imagine".

Mr Kim said "It was not easy to get here...There were obstacles but we overcame them to be here".

The leaders emerged from a working lunch and strolled together down a paved walkway before stopping and posing before the waiting news media.

President Trump and Mr Kim then signed a joint agreement which commits North Korea to work towards denuclearisation and a promise of a new relationship between Washington and Pyongyang.

When signing the documents, Mr Kim said "the world will see a major change".

Prior to the historic meeting, the summit was expected to focus on North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons, although President Trump previously admitted it may take more than one meeting to do so.

Mr Pompeo yesterday said: "the complete verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is the only outcome that the United States will accept" but admitted that the US would offer "unique" security assurances.   

President Trump would not say whether "unique" security assurances included the possibility of withdrawing US troops from the Korean Peninsula.

Recent discussions between Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-In has led to the North agreeing to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. 

Pyongyang has previously said it is willing to deal away its entire nuclear programme if the US provides reliable security assurances and other benefits.