Videotaped Remarks on North Korea-United States Relations

Earlier this week, I returned from a historic summit in Singapore where I met with Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea. This summit marked a new beginning for relations between the United States and North Korea, and it opened the path to a future for all Koreans, North and South.

The summit also made a clean break from the failed approaches of past administrations, and failed they were. Our meeting was the first time a sitting American President has ever met with a leader of North Korea. Our conversation was open, honest, direct, and very, very productive. We produced something that is beautiful.

At the conclusion of the summit, we signed a joint statement in which Chairman Kim, quote, "reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." This is the beginning of the process toward the denuclearization of North Korea. I sometimes say the "denuking" of North Korea, and those are beautiful words.

During our conversation, I emphasized the tremendous new prosperity, security, and opportunity that awaits North Korea when they denuclearize. As I said in Singapore, 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. Our world has seen more than enough conflict. If there's a chance at peace, if there's a chance to end a horrible threat of nuclear conflict, then we must pursue it at all cost. The people of America, the people of Korea, the people of the world deserve a future of security and of peace, and that is why we signed this joint statement.

In the coming days and weeks and months, Secretary Pompeo will be working directly with North Korea to implement the denuclearization deal. In the meantime, sanctions will remain in place. We know that there is a great deal of work ahead, but peace is always worth that effort. We have been working very hard. I made the trip. It was worth every second. It was an incredible event. The people of Asia feel safe, and right now the people from all over the world feel much safer than the days before I was President. We're doing a good job. We're working very hard, and we're going to produce. It's all going to happen.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.