Press Conference by President Trump: June 12, 2018 | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Capella Hotel  •  Singapore  •  Issued on: June 12, 2018  •  4:15 P.M. SGT

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much, everybody. We appreciate it. We're getting ready to go back. We had a tremendous 24 hours. We've had a tremendous three months, actually, because this has been going on for quite a while. That was a tape that we gave to Chairman Kim and his people, his representatives. And it captures a lot. It captures what could be done. And that's a great - a great place. It has the potential to be an incredible place. Between South Korea - if you think about it - and China, it's got tremendous potential. And I think he understands that and he wants to do what's right.

    It's my honor today to address the people of the world, following this very historic summit with Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea. We spent very intensive hours together, and I think most of you have gotten the signed document, or you will very shortly. It's very comprehensive. It's going to happen.

    I stand before you as an emissary of the American people to deliver a message of hope and vision, and a message of peace.

    Let me begin by thanking our incredible hosts in Singapore, especially Prime Minister Lee, a friend of mine. This is a country of profound grace and beauty, and we send our warmest wishes to every citizen of Singapore, who really made this visit so important and so pleasant, despite all of the work and all of the long hours.

    I also want to thank President Moon of South Korea. He's working hard. In fact, I'll be speaking to him right after we're finished. Prime Minister Abe of Japan - a friend of mine - just left our country, and he wants what's right for Japan and for the world. He's a good man. And a very special person, President Xi of China, who has really closed up that border - maybe a little bit less so over the last couple of months, but that's okay. But he really has. And he's a terrific person and a friend of mine, and really a great leader of his people. I want to thank them for their efforts to help us get to this very historic day.

    Most importantly, I want to thank Chairman Kim for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people. Our unprecedented meeting - the first between an American President and a leader of North Korea - proves that real change is indeed possible.

    My meeting with Chairman Kim was honest, direct, and productive. We got to know each other well in a very confined period of time, under very strong, strong circumstance. We're prepared to start a new history and we're ready to write a new chapter between our nations.

    Nearly 70 years ago - think of that; 70 years ago - an extremely bloody conflict ravaged the Korean Peninsula. Countless people died in the conflict, including tens of thousands of brave Americans. Yet, while the armistice was agreed to, the war never ended. To this day, never ended. But now we can all have hope that it will soon end. And it will. It will soon end.

    The past does not have to define the future. Yesterday's conflict does not have to be tomorrow's war. And as history has proven over and over again, adversaries can indeed become friends. We can honor the sacrifice of our forefathers by replacing the horrors of battle with the blessings of peace. And that's what we're doing and that's what we have done.

    There is no limit to what North Korea can achieve when it gives up its nuclear weapons and embraces commerce and engagement with the rest of the world - that really wants to engage. Chairman Kim has before him an opportunity like no other: to be remembered as the leader who ushered in a glorious new era of security and prosperity for his people.

    Chairman Kim and I just signed a joint statement in which he reaffirmed his "unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." We also agreed to vigorous negotiations to implement the agreement as soon as possible. And he wants to do that. This isn't the past. This isn't another administration that never got it started and therefore never got it done.

    Chairman Kim has told me that North Korea is already destroying a major missile engine testing site. That's not in your signed document; we agreed to that after the agreement was signed. That's a big thing - for the missiles that they were testing, the site is going to be destroyed very soon.

    Today is the beginning of an arduous process. Our eyes are wide open, but peace is always worth the effort, especially in this case. This should have been done years ago. This should have been resolved a long time ago, but we're resolving it now.

    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.

    The current state of affairs cannot endure forever. The people of Korea - North and South - are profoundly talented, industrious, and gifted. These are truly gifted people. They share the same heritage, language, customs, culture, and destiny. But to realize their amazing destiny, to reunite their national family, the menace of nuclear weapons will now be removed.

    In the meantime, the sanctions will remain in effect. We dream of a future where all Koreans can live together in harmony, where families are reunited and hopes are reborn, and where the light of peace chases away the darkness of war. This bright future is within - and this is what's happening. It is right there. It's within our reach. It's going to be there. It's going to happen. People thought this could never take place. It is now taking place. It's a very great day. It's a very great moment in the history of the world.

    And Chairman Kim is on his way back to North Korea. And I know for a fact, as soon as he arrives, he's going to start a process that's going to make a lot of people very happy and very safe.

    So it's an honor to be with everybody today. The media - this is a big gathering of media, I will say. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. (Laughter.) But it is what it is. People understand that this is something very important to all of us, including yourselves and your families.

    So thank you very much for being here. We'll take some questions. Wow. That's a lot of questions. Go ahead. Sure, go ahead. NBC.

    Q Thank you, Mr. President. Two questions for you, if you don't mind. First, the man you met today, Kim Jong Un, as you know, has killed family members, has starved his own people, is responsible for the death of Otto Warmbier. Why are you so comfortable calling him "very talented"?

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, he is very talented. Anybody that takes over a situation like he did, at 26 years of age, and is able to run it, and run it tough - I don't say he was nice or I don't say anything about it - he ran it. Very few people, at that age - you can take one out of ten thousand, probably, couldn't do it.

    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. Okay? Thank you very much.

    Q Mr. President, that second question for you, sir, was on the security - the second question, sir -

    THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead.

    Q - on the security assurances you talked about in your statement. Can you be specific about what assurances you are willing to give to Kim Jong Un? Does that include reducing military capabilities?

    THE PRESIDENT: No.

    Q And just to follow up on your answer -

    THE PRESIDENT: No, we're not reducing anything. We're not reducing. At some point, I have to be honest - and I used to say this during my campaign, as you know, probably, better than most - 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.

    Yes, John. Yes, John, go ahead. Oh, go ahead. I'm sorry, I thought you were John Roberts. I looked at you, you just like -

    Q It's all right.

    THE PRESIDENT: Much better, right?

    Q Frequently - we're frequently confused, Mr. President.

    THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

    Q Mr. President, this joint statement does not talk about verifiable or irreversible denuclearization.

    THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.

    Q Was that a concession on the part of the United States?

    THE PRESIDENT: No, not at all. Because if you look at it, I mean, it said we are going to - let's see here - it will be gone. I don't think you can be anymore plain than what we're asking - "issues related to the establishment of the new U.S. DPRK relations" - the building. We talk about the guarantees, and we talk about "unwavering commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." This is the document that we just signed.

    Q Did you discuss with Chairman Kim methods to verify, either with the United States or international organizations, that very process? And do you have a timetable -

    THE PRESIDENT: Yes, we did. Yes, we did. And we'll be verifying.

    Q Can you give that to us?

    THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, we'll be verifying. It will be verified.

    Q How is that going to be achieved, Mr. President?

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's going to be achieved by having a lot of people there, and as we develop a certain trust. And we think we have done that. Secretary Pompeo has been really doing a fantastic job - his staff, everybody. As we do that, we're going to have a lot of people there, and we're going to be working with them on a lot of other things. But this is complete denuclearization of North Korea, and it will be verified.

    Q Will those people be Americans or international -

    THE PRESIDENT: Uh, combinations of both. Combinations of both. And we have talked about it, yes.

    Yeah, go ahead. Be nice. Be respectful.

    Q I'll be very respectful, sir. What did Kim Jong Un say to you to give you the confidence that, for once in the history of North Korea, they are not cheating the system, and gaming the world, and gaming the people who will have to go in and make sure that they're actually giving up their nuclear arsenal? What did he say to you?

    THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, I mean, very fair question. He actually mentioned the fact that they proceeded down a path in the past, and, ultimately, as you know, nothing got done. In one case, they took billions of dollars - during the Clinton regime - took billions of dollars and nothing happened. That was a terrible thing, and he actually brought it up to me.

    And he said we have never gone this far. I don't think they've ever had the confidence, frankly, in a President that they have right now for getting things done and having the ability to get things done. And he was very firm in the fact that he wants to do this. I think he might want to do this as much or even more than me because they see a very bright future for North Korea.

    So you never know. Right? We never know. But I'll tell you what, we signed a very comprehensive document today, and I think most of you have been given that document. But we signed a very, very comprehensive document, and I believe he's going to live up to that document. In fact, when he lands - which is going to be shortly - I think that he will start that process right away.

    Q Do you trust him, Mr. President?

    THE PRESIDENT: I do. I do. I can only say that I know him for - really well, it's been very rhetorical, as you know. I think, without the rhetoric, it wouldn't have happened. I think without other things going along - I think the establishment of a new team was very important. We have a great team. But I do, I think he wants to get it done. I really feel that very strongly.

    Oh, there's John. I think - you know, you two guys look alike when the light is right on the - the hair is very similar. Let me see, who has better hair? He's got pretty good hair, John, I hate to -

    Q It's the angelic glow of the backlighting, Mr. President, that makes us look so similar. Of course, the denuclearization - nuclear weapons and biological weapons and whatnot - is one problem in North Korea. Another huge problem is the horrible record that they have on human rights. Was that discussed at all?

    THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

    Q Is that something that you will tackle in the future?

    THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it was discussed. It will be discussed more in the future - human rights. What was also discussed in great detail, John, was that fact that, you know, we have - and I must have had just countless calls and letters and tweets, anything you can do - they want the remains of their sons back. They want the remains of their fathers, and mothers, and all of the people that got caught into that really brutal war, which took place, to a large extent, in North Korea. And I asked for it today, and we got it. That was a very last minute. The remains will be coming back. They're going to start that process immediately.

    But so many people, even during the campaign, they'd say, "Is there any way you can work with North Korea to get the remains of my son back or my father back?" So many people asked me this question. And, you know, I said, "Look, we don't get along too well with that particular group of people." But now we do. And he agreed to that so quickly and so nice - it was really a very nice thing, and he understands it. He understands it.

    So for the thousands and thousands - I guess way over 6,000 that we know of, in terms of the remains, they'll be brought back.

    Q The POW-MIA issue clearly is a very important one for thousands of Americans.

    THE PRESIDENT: Especially to a lot of people that are -

    Q But what do you, President Trump, expect Kim Jong Un to do about the human rights record regarding the North Korean people?

    THE PRESIDENT: Right. It was discussed. It was discussed relatively briefly compared to denuclearization. Well, obviously, that's where we started and where we ended. But they will be doing things, and I think he wants to do things. I think he wants to - you'd be very surprised. Very smart. Very good negotiator. Wants to do the right thing.