Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Trump and Kim's DMZ Meeting Mixes Show and Substance
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
July 1, 2019

Share

PANMUNJOM, Korea — “Ok, let’s do it.”
With those words, a deliberate step and a pat on the arm of Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump became the first sitting American leader to step into North Korea on Sunday as the two made history at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. The made-for-television moment was unthinkable just two years ago, when the men were trading base insults and grim threats.
Trump’s three-hour stop at the DMZ — of which about 80 minutes were spent with Kim — was a display of handshake-diplomacy for the history books, but also a chaotic spectacle reflective of the last-minute nature of the invitation to the authoritarian leader to join him at the border between the Koreas.
Afterward, it was unclear whether the meeting was more show than substance. Other than the headline-grabbing moment and the unprecedented images, Trump’s only accomplishment appeared to be securing an agreement to restart nuclear talks that he himself had walked out on in February during his last summit with Kim in Vietnam.
Trump had long planned a visit to the DMZ, dating to 2017 when a scheduled trip was canceled by fog, but aides said the public invitation for Kim to join him there was as spontaneous as it seemed. In typical Trump fashion, it started with a tweet.
“I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!” Trump posted about 30 hours before the visit.


The secrecy that had surrounded the ill-fated attempted visit two years ago was replaced by a media frenzy stoked by the president himself.

Trump Broached the Idea of Walking Into North Korea

Trump said North Korea quickly responded and expressed interest in the invitation. U.S. and North Korean officials spent much of Saturday evening and early Sunday trying to surmount the immense logistical and security hurdles on such a tight timetable.

It was Trump who first broached the notion of walking into North Korea. “Would you like me to step across?” he asked Kim as an interpreter translated his words to Korean. “Would you like me to?”
Even Kim seemed unable to contain his surprise when the meeting occurred.
“I never expected to meet you at this place,” he told Trump as they shook hands across the concrete slab marking the Military Demarcation Line between North and South.
It was Trump who first broached the notion of walking into North Korea. “Would you like me to step across?” he asked Kim as an interpreter translated his words to Korean. “Would you like me to?”
Kim waved Trump over, replying through an interpreter of his own: “If your excellency would step forward, you will be the first U.S. president to cross the border.”
As Trump took his first steps, the former reality television star quickly moved to stage-manage the show of his own creation.
“Come on,” he said to Kim, tapping his elbow, as they walked side by side 10 paces into the North.
After a moment, they turned to face the press waiting in the South.
 

Jostling as Leaders Moved to Freedom House

Trump escorted Kim back to the South as a scuffle broke out between reporters and North Korean security guards, with officials shoving and trying to block the press from capturing the moment.
The jostling intensified as the leaders moved to the Freedom House on the southern side of Panmunjom, where they made brief remarks to reporters and then met for roughly 50 minutes. A photographer was knocked to the ground and one reporter was seen in tears.
At one point, incoming White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham side-checked a North Korean guard who was blocking reporters from the room while others security officials frantically tried to cordon off the area with yellow rope.
Grisham ended up with bruises from the fracas. The U.S. Secret Service intervened in the pushing and shoving match.
The president was joined in the Freedom House conversation with Kim by his daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, both senior White House advisers. Chief of staff Mick Mulvaney milled about with other aides. National security adviser John Bolton, a skeptic of the talks with Kim, was en route to Ulaanbaatar to consult with Mongolian officials on regional security issues.
At one point, Ivanka Trump and Kushner stopped to enter one of the blue huts straddling the border between the two Koreas. Asked by a reporter about her trip to the North, she replied, “Surreal.”
And a sequel could be in the works: Trump told reporters he had invited Kim to Washington.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

DON'T MISS

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

DON'T MISS

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

DON'T MISS

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

DON'T MISS

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

DON'T MISS

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

DON'T MISS

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

DON'T MISS

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

DON'T MISS

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

DON'T MISS

Spring Allergies Are Back. Here’s How to Check Pollen Levels and Keep From Sneezing

UP NEXT

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

UP NEXT

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

UP NEXT

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

UP NEXT

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

UP NEXT

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

UP NEXT

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

UP NEXT

Putin Announces an Easter Ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of POWs

UP NEXT

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

UP NEXT

Senator Slams ‘Margaritagate’ Stunt During Deportee Visit

UP NEXT

LA Rams Can Bolster a Contending Roster With Another Strong Showing in NFL Draft

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

1 hour ago

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

2 hours ago

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

4 hours ago

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

5 hours ago

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

5 hours ago

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

6 hours ago

Spring Allergies Are Back. Here’s How to Check Pollen Levels and Keep From Sneezing

6 hours ago

US Small Manufacturers Hope to Benefit From Tariffs, but Some Worry About Uncertainty

6 hours ago

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

6 hours ago

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

6 hours ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Saturday that the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the Hout...

58 minutes ago

58 minutes ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

1 hour ago

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

1 hour ago

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

1 hour ago

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

2 hours ago

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

4 hours ago

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

5 hours ago

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

5 hours ago

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend