It’s barely been a day since the G20 Summit in Osaka has been over and already, it has been eclipsed by President Trump’s visit to the De-Militarized Zone in the Korea on Sunday.
In a historic moment witnessed by the entire world, Trump became the first seating U.S. President to set foot on North Korean soil when he crossed the demarcation line into the North. He took a few historic steps inside North Korea with Kim Jong Un then walked back again, completing a diplomatic journey without incident.
In a surreal moment which played out in real time before the eyes of the world, President Trump and Kim Jong Un met at the DMZ and shook hands when he (Trump) asked, “Would you like me to come across?” of which Kim responded that he “would be honoured.”
Trump then stepped over the slap separating the two Koreas and crossed the demarcation line into North Korea, taking a few historic steps inside. It was then that the media went absolutely crazy and jostled to take images as they witnessed history in the making where a seating U.S. President was literally walking inside North Korea.
“This has a lot of significance because it means that we want to bring an end to the unpleasant past and try to create a new future,” Kim told Trump through a translator during the historic handshake.
“It’s very courageous and determined act,” he said, looking happy.
“You’re the first U.S. president to cross this line,” said a smiling Kim moments after Trump became the first seating U.S. President to set foot into North Korean territory.
“Stepping across that line was a great honour,” Trump later told Kim as they walked together on the North Korean side of the border, adding that “a lot of progress has been made” after two failed summits in Singapore and Vietnam respectively.
The moment albeit brief was significant and it will be studied for years by historians. When people look back in history, this will be the moment that will define The Trummp or Trump’s foreign policy approach that changed everything and he did it all alone.
The significance, the relevance and the symbols can not be underestimated. It’s also historic in many ways but also that this was the first highstakes summit set up on Twitter in less than 24 hours and the first seating U.S. President to set foot on North Korean soil.
Trump has put the US in a stronger position than ever in terms of negotiations both with North Korea and China. This presents all parties with an opportunity to reset the stage and restart negotiations.
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