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North Korea

 Statement- Foreign Ministry

May 12, 20183

“In accordance with the decision of the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Nuclear Weapon Institute and other concerned institutions are taking technical measures for dismantling the northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK in order to ensure transparency of discontinuance of the nuclear test.”

“A ceremony for dismantling the nuclear test ground is now scheduled between May 23 and 25, depending on weather condition.”

“It has intention to allow not only the local press but also journalists of other countries to conduct on-the-spot coverage in order to show in a transparent manner the dismantlement of the northern nuclear test ground..” 

KCNA

May 12, 20184 

“It seems that Japan is speaking of funerals when the talk is of marriage. The reactionaries of Japan are hyping the "issue of abduction" which had already been settled. This is just a mean and foolish behavior to stem the trend of peace on the Korean peninsula at any cost although it is unanimously hailed by the international community.” 

KCNA

May 10, 20185 

“Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Wednesday met Mike Pompeo, secretary of State of the United States of America who is on a visit to the DPRK.”

“He (Pompeo) conveyed Kim Jong Un the verbal message of Donald Trump, president of the U.S.A. After hearing the verbal message, Kim Jong Un expressed thanks, highly appreciating that the U.S. president has shown deep interest in settling the issue through dialogue.”

“He (Kim Jong-un) exchanged with Mike Pompeo the appraisal and view on the acute situation of the Korean peninsula, which is now a pressing matter of the whole world's concern, and the stance and opinions of the supreme leaderships of the DPRK and the U.S. on their summit.”

“He (Kim Jong-un)said that the coming DPRK-U.S. summit would be a historic meeting for the excellent first step toward promotion of the positive situation development in the Korean peninsula and building of a good future.”

“At the meeting, an in-depth discussion was made on the practical matters for holding the DPRK-U.S. summit and its procedure and ways. Kim Jong Un reached a satisfactory consensus on the issues discussed with the U.S. state secretary.”

“He accepted an official suggestion of the U.S. president for the release of Americans who have been detained in the DPRK for their anti-DPRK hostilities, and gave an order of the chairman of the DPRK State Affairs Commission on granting amnesty to them for their repatriation.” 

KCNA

May 8, 20186 

“Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited Dalian City of China from May 7 to 8 to meet again Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and president of the People's Republic of China.”

“He (Kim Jong-un), in particular, highly appreciated that the close high-level visits between the two parties and the two countries and the strategic communication between the supreme leaderships of the DPRK and China are underway on an unprecedented level.”

“He (Kim Jong-un)analyzed and estimated the development of the situation around the Korean peninsula undergoing profound changes and mentioned the ways to more actively and closely boost the tactical cooperation between the DPRK and China by using the strategic opportunity.”

“Saying that the two countries of China and the DPRK are the community of the same destiny and their relations are the invariable ones of lips and teeth, he (Xi Jinping) said that it is the firm stand and the only correct option for the two parties and governments to consolidate and develop the China-DPRK relations no matter how frequently the situation changes.”

“He (Xi Jinping) highly appreciated the crucial decision and measures recently taken by Kim Jong Un and reiterated full support for them, saying that China, as a friendly neighbor, is making consistent efforts for regional peace and stability, paying deep attention to the development and change in the situation of the Korean peninsula.”

“The visit paid by Kim Jong Un fully showed the fact that he and the Korean Party Central Committee highly value the China-DPRK relations, the strategic communication between the two parties, in particular, and the firm will to implement the important joint agreement reached between the two sides, he said, stressing that this demonstrated once again the traditional and solid China-DPRK friendship to the whole world and will certainly have important impact on the China-DPRK relations and the situation of the Korean peninsula.” 

USA 

 Donald Trump- President

May 12, 20187

"North Korea has announced that they will dismantle Nuclear Test Site this month, ahead of the big Summit Meeting on June 12th. Thank you, a very smart and gracious gesture!.”

May 10, 20188 

“The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!”

May 10, 20189

Receiving three Americans detainees released by North Korea on May 9, 2018, President Trump said,

“This is a great honor.  Hopefully everything is going to work out at the highest level.  We want to thank Kim Jong-un, who really was excellent to these three incredible people.  They are really three incredible people.  And the fact that we were able to get them out so soon was really a tribute to a lot of things, including a certain process that’s taking place right now.  And that process is very important.”

“So we will see what happens.  We have a meeting scheduled in a very short period of time.  You’ll be hearing about it soon.  We have the location set.  And we will see if we can do something that people did not think was going to happen for many, many years, and a lot of bad things could have happened in between.”

“I really think he (Kim Jong-un) wants to do something.  I think he did this because I really think he wants to do something and bring that country into the real world.  I really believe that, Jon.  And I think — I think that we’re going to have a success.  I think this will be a very big success.”

“It’s never been taken this far.  There’s never been a relationship like this.  And we’re starting from here.  But I really think a lot of progress has been made.  And we’ll see what happens.  We’re talking about a few weeks.  I guess many of you will be with us.  But some great things can happen, and that’s what we hope.”

Mike Pompeo- Secretary of State

May 13, 201810

In explain his previous comment that U.S. is prepared to work with North Korea to “achieve prosperity”, Secretary said,

“This will be Americans coming in – private sector Americans, not the U.S. taxpayer – private sector Americans coming in to help build out the energy grid – they need enormous amounts of electricity in North Korea; to work with them to develop infrastructure, all the things that the North Korean people need, the capacity for American agriculture to support North Korea so they can eat meat and have healthy lives. Those are the kind of things that, if we get what it is the President has demanded – the complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of North Korea – that the American people will offer in spades.”

“We will have to provide security assurances to be sure. This has been a tradeoff that has been pending for 25 years. No president has ever put America in a position where the North Korean leadership thought that this was truly possible, that the Americans would actually do this, would lead to the place where America was no longer held at risk by the North Korean regime. That’s the objectives. When I said earlier this week that I think Chairman Kim shares the objectives with the American people, I am convinced of that. Now the task is for President Trump and he to meet to validate the process by which this would go forward, to set out those markers so that we can negotiate this outcome.”

“Look, we’ll have to see how the negotiations proceed, but make no mistake about it: America’s interest here is preventing the risk that North Korea will launch a nuclear weapon into LA or Denver or into the very place we’re sitting here this morning. . That’s our objective, that’s the end state the President has laid out, and that’s the mission that he sent me on this past week to put us on the trajectory to go achieve that.”

“We’ve had discussions on how this would proceed. There’s still a great deal of detail to be worked on, and in the coming weeks we will continue to work on that so that we can be in a good spot on June 12th in Singapore for President Trump. But make no mistake about it: We’ve done this before, right? We’ve done trade for trade, moment for moment; you give me X, I give you Y; and it has failed repeatedly. I think Chairman Kim understands that. I think he appreciates the fact that this is going to have to be different and big and special, and something that has never been undertaken before. If we’re going to get to this historic outcome, both sides have to be prepared to take truly historic measures to achieve it.”

“To quote President Trump, we’ll see, right? We are not to the place yet where we should be remotely close to declaring that we have achieved what it is we want. There’s a great deal of work that remains. Our eyes are wide open with respect to the risks. But it is our fervent hope that Chairman Kim wants to make a strategic change, a strategic change in the direction for his country and his people; and if he’s prepared to do that, President Trump is prepared to assure that this could be a successful transition.”

“I did get to spend a great deal of time with Chairman Kim. The conversations are professional. He knows – he knows his brief. He knows what the – what he is trying to achieve for the North Korean people. He is able to deal with complexity when the conversation requires it.”

“He does follow the Western press. He’ll probably watch this show at some point. He’s paying attention to things that the world is saying. He too is preparing for June 12th. He and his team will be working with them to put our two leaders in a position where it’s just possible we might pull off a historic undertaking.”

May 13, 201811

“Well, my trip was designed to lay the groundwork to prepare for the President’s meeting with Chairman Kim on June 12^th. We have seen this happen before. We have our eyes wide open with respect to the fact that the North Koreans have not proved worthy of their promises. But we’re hopeful that this will be different, that we won’t do the traditional model where they do something, and we give them a bunch of money, and then both sides walk away. We’re hoping this will be bigger, different, faster. Our ask is complete and total denuclearization of North Korea, and it is the President’s intention to achieve that. As he has said, we’ll see if that works, but we’re setting conditions for a successful meeting between the two leaders.”

“What Chairman Kim will get from America is our finest – our entrepreneurs, our risk-takers, our capital providers, not our taxpayers…. hey will get private capital that comes in. North Korea is desperately in need of energy support, electricity for their people. They are – they’re in great need of agricultural equipment and technology, the finest from the Midwest that I come from. We can deliver that. And as I said earlier this week, we can create conditions for real economic prosperity for the North Korean people that will rival that of the South, and that is our expectation. It won’t be U.S. taxpayers. It will be American know-how, knowledge, entrepreneurs, and risk-takers working alongside the North Korean people to create a robust economy for their people, too.”

“If we get denuclearization, of course, there will be sanctions relief, certainly. There’ll be more than that. There’ll be a real – the President has a commitment, and he will make this commitment to Chairman Kim, I am confident, that says if you do the things we need to do so that America is no longer held at risk by your nuclear weapons arsenal, and that you get rid of your CBW program and missiles that threaten the world, we will ensure that your people have the opportunity for the greatness that I know Chairman Kim wants them to have.”

“I have told him that what President Trump wants is to see the North Korean regime get rid of its nuclear weapons program in completely and in totality; and in exchange for that, we are prepared to ensure that the North Korean people get the opportunity that they so richly deserve. It’s pretty straightforward, and I said earlier this week I think in that sense Chairman Kim shares that same objective. I think he understands that President Trump has put an enormous pressure campaign in place with the aim of achieving a good outcome for North Korea and its people. That’s our objective. That’s the American goal that President Trump set forward.”

“The American leadership under President Trump has its eyes wide open. It could be that we won’t be successful. It’s possible; we acknowledge that. We’ve watched this fail before. But the model that has been employed here is fundamentally different, and we are hopeful that we will get a fundamentally different outcome.”

“What struck me about –is very knowledgeable in the sense of he knows the files. He’s very capable of engaging in complex set of discussions. When I ask him a question about something that’s a little off, he answers it. There’s no notecards. It is Chairman Kim, in this case, interacting with me directly, having a robust discussion about what the outlines of a successful negotiation between our two countries might ultimately be.”

May 11, 201812

“If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on the par with our South Korean friends. The United States looks forward to continued close cooperation with our South Korean allies on this issue and many others.”

“Is he (Kim Jong-un) rational?” Yes, we had good conversations, substantive conversations, conversations that involve deep, complex problems, challenges the strategic decision that Chairman Kim has before him about how it is he wishes to proceed and if he is prepared in exchange for the assurances that we’re ready to provide to him if he is prepared to fully denuclearize. And I’m not sure how to define it fully.”

“It’s pretty clear what that (denuclearisation) means. It would be an activity that undertook to ensure that we didn’t end up in the same place that we’d ended up before, or multiple passes at trying to solve this conundrum for the world, how to ensure that North Korea doesn’t possess the capacity to threaten not only the United States but the world with nuclear weapons. And so in order to achieve that, it will require a robust verification program and one that we will undertake with partners around the world, which will achieve that outcome in a way that frankly no agreement before it has ever set forth. A big undertaking for sure, but one that Chairman Kim and I had the opportunity to have a good, sound discussion on so that I think we have a pretty good understanding between our two countries about what the shared objectives are.”

May  9, 201813

“So we had a good day in the sense that I had a good and lengthy conversation with Chairman Kim in preparation for the President’s summit. The – we are locked in on the date. We are locked in on the time.”

“We have the three Americans on the plane, which is incredibly exciting.”

“The venue (for Kim-Trump meeting) is also locked in. So yes, so date, time/venue all locked in.

“We’re planning on it will be a single day, but in the event that there is more to discuss, there’ll be an opportunity for it to extend into the second day as well.”

May 9, 201814

"For decades, we have been adversaries. Now we are hopeful that we can work together to resolve this conflict, take away threats to the world and make your country have all the opportunities your people so richly deserve.”

Secretary Pompeo made the remark in a lunch meeting with Kim Yong-chol, head of the North's United Front Department handling inter-Korean relations. Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang to discuss details of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump

Mike Pence- Vice President

May 9, 201815

“Thanks to President Trump’s tough minded diplomacy, three Americans held hostage in North Korea are coming home. While our administration is encouraged that North Korea freed these innocent hostages, we will not let off the pressure until we achieve full denuclearization. Our Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did a remarkable job overseeing the release of Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak Song – and to them I say: safe travels and welcome home. This is a proud and memorable moment for America.” 

Statement- White House

May 9, 201816

“At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other representatives of the United States government traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea on May 9 to prepare for the President’s upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. During Secretary Pompeo’s visit, the North Korean leadership released three American detainees. President Trump appreciates leader Kim Jong Un’s action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill. The three Americans appear to be in good condition and were all able to walk on the plane without assistance. All Americans look forward to welcoming them home and to seeing them reunited with their loved ones.”

Sarah Sanders- Press Secretary, White House

May 11, 201817

“The President is going into this with eyes wide open, as he said many times, and we’ll see what happens.  But this is certainly a process that has moved in the right direction.  We’ve seen some signs of goodwill from North Korea just this week, with the three Americans brought back home; also the stopping of the ballistic missiles tests; them stopping with their research and development on their nuclear program.  And we’re going to continue to push for complete and total denuclearization.  We’re also going to continue maximum pressure until we see that happen.”

John Bolton- National Security Advisor

May 10, 201818

As part of the Iran deal announcement, the president also deliberately linked his withdrawal from the JCPOA to the ongoing negotiations with North Korea, announcing that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would soon be landing in North Korea. No one in the Trump administration has any illusions about the negotiations ahead.

May 8, 201819

“I think another aspect of the withdrawal (from JCPOA) that was announced today is to establish positions of strength for the United States, and it will have implications not simply for Iran, but for the forthcoming meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea.  It sends a very clear signal that the United States will not accept inadequate deals, as the President said.

“I think the message to North Korea is the President wants a real deal; that what we’re asking for, what Secretary Pompeo will be discussing with people in North Korea when he arrives there in further preparation for the meeting with Kim Jong-un is — in part, rests on what North Korea itself agreed to going back to the 1992 joint North-South denuclearization declaration: the elimination of both the front and the backend of the nuclear fuel cycle; no uranium enrichment; no plutonium reprocessing.  There are other things we’ll be asking for as well.”

South Korea 

Moon Jae-in – President

May 11, 201820

"Should the exchanges that were launched by South and North Korean art performance groups continue and should the South and the North meet more frequently," the president said while meeting a group of South Korean artists over lunch at his office Cheong Wa Dae. "I believe the people may freely come and go between the South and the North, and in the end, there may come a day when the South and the North will once again become one."

"I will do my best to make sure the exchanges between the South and the North that you helped open will continue to flow without stopping,"

May 9, 201821

"The countries' support and cooperation is absolutely needed in our journey toward peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia,"

"The South-North summit created the foundation for complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace.”

"The entire world is now watching the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. I am confident close cooperation between our three countries will create peace and prosperity not only on the Korean Peninsula but in the entire Northeast Asia region."

Kang Kyung-wha- Foreign Minister 

May 11, 201822 

“Secretary Pompeo and I reaffirmed that the ROK-U.S. alliance, which celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, has long served as the linchpin for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. We also reaffirmed that for the last 65 years, the USFK, the United States Forces in Korea, has played a crucial role for deterrence and peace and stability of the region, and we would like to emphasize again that the U.S. military presence in Korea is a matter for the ROK-U.S. alliance first and foremost.” 

“After today’s meeting, I am even more confident that our alliance is as robust as ever and that there is no daylight in our cooperation on the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Cho Myoung-gyon - Unification Minister

May 11, 201823

"Now is the golden opportunity to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establish a peace regime. We never know when such a chance would come again."

"Sufficient time and momentum could not be maintained to enforce agreements reached in the previous (South-North) summits since they were held in the mid or late terms of each presidency.”

 "This time, it is very positive in terms of the possibility of implementation, since the summit was held in the early stages of the government."

"In preparation for the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit, we will do our best to iron out any differences at various levels through dialogue between South Korea and the U.S., South and North Korea and South Korea and China." 

Yoon Young-chan- Press Secretary, Presidential Office

May 9, 201824

On May 9, 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang had a bilateral meeting in Tokyo.

"The two leaders agreed that the international community, including the United States, must actively take part in ensuring a bright future for North Korea through a security guarantee and support for its economic development in case North Korea does completely denuclearize, instead of demanding North Korea unconditionally denuclearize.”

"They also reached an agreement that a rail construction project to link Seoul with (North Korea's) Shinuiju and China may be reviewed to support North Korea's economic development and that a joint feasibility study by South Korea and China may be launched in advance."

May 8, 201825

"Japan can play a very important role for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. It is partly in that the normalization of North Korea-Japan relations may be a necessary part of a security guarantee for North Korea and that close cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan may be necessary for complete denuclearization (of the Korean Peninsula).”

"Should the North-Japan relations be normalized, it will greatly contribute to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asian region."

"I have also discussed the North Korea-Japan relationship with Chairman Kim Jong-un," he said, referring to the North Korean leader by his official title as the head of the state affairs council. "I told Chairman Kim that Prime Minister Abe is willing to normalize the North-Japan relationship based on the spirit of clearing the problems of the past, and he said he is willing to talk with Japan at any time."

"Chairman Kim clearly understands what the international community wants. I plan to do all I can to help strengthen the trust between the North and the U.S. so their negotiations may go well, and I will closely cooperate with key nations of the international community, including Japan, in that process." 

China 

 Geng Shuang- Spokesperson, Foreign Ministry 

May 11, 201826 

“China welcomes the positive progress achieved by the DPRK and the US in preparing the summit. We hope that the summit can achieve positive outcomes and an important step can be taken towards advancing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, politically resolving the Peninsula issue and achieving the lasting peace and stability of the region.” 

Statement- Foreign Ministry

May 9, 201827 

“On May 9, 2018, Premier Li Keqiang, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea (ROK) jointly met the press at the State Guest House in Tokyo after the conclusion of the 7th China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting, introducing the outcomes of the meeting.” 

“Li Keqiang expressed that we all welcome the return of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to the track of settlement through dialogue. We congratulate on the successful convening of the third leaders' meeting between the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and expect the realization of the meeting between leaders of the DPRK and the United States. It is hoped that various parties will seize the current favorable opportunity to resume dialogue as soon as possible, so as to make contributions to the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue and the realization of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.”

Statement- Foreign Ministry

May 8, 201828

“From May 7 to 8, 2018, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President Xi Jinping held a meeting with Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong-un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Dalian.”

“Xi Jinping pointed out that Comrade Chairman made a special trip to China to meet me again after 40-odd days at a crucial time when the Korean Peninsula situation undergoes profound and complex changes at present, which embodies the great importance that Comrade Chairman and the WPK Central Committee have attached to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, and to their strategic communication. I speak highly of it.”

“Kim Jong-un expressed that the DPRK-China friendship and the Korean Peninsula situation have achieved meaningful progress since March this year. These are the positive outcomes of the historic meeting between Comrade General Secretary and him.”

“Under the joint efforts of the two sides, various consensus is being well implemented. Within a period of more than one month, I have met with Comrade Chairman twice, and maintained close communication. I stand ready to, together with Comrade Chairman, continue to guide relevant departments of the two sides to soundly implement the consensus we have reached and promote the continuous advancement of China-DPRK relations, so as to benefit the two countries and the two peoples and make positive contributions to the peace and stability of the region.”

“When talking about the Korean Peninsula situation, Xi Jinping pointed out that Comrade Chairman and I have exchanged in-depth views and reached important consensus in this regard during the first meeting. Recently, Comrade Chairman has made active efforts in promoting dialogue and amelioration on the Korean Peninsula, which gained positive results. Under the joint efforts of all parties concerned, the momentum of dialogue and amelioration on the Korean Peninsula has been constantly consolidated in a direction that is conducive to promoting the political settlement. China supports the DPRK in adhering to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and supports the DPRK and the United States (US) in solving the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation. The Chinese side is willing to continuously work together with all relevant parties to play a positive role in comprehensively promoting the process of peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue, and in realizing lasting peace and stability in the region.”

“Kim Jong-un expressed that realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has been a consistent and clear stance of the DPRK. As long as relevant parties abolish their hostile policies and remove security threats against the DPRK, there is no need for the DPRK to be a nuclear state and the denuclearization can be realized. Kim Jong-un hopes that the DPRK and the US will establish mutual trust through dialogue, and that all relevant parties will take phased and synchronous measures in a responsible manner to comprehensively advance the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, and eventually achieve the denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Russia 

Japan 

 Shinzo Abe- Prime Minister

 May 11, 201829

 "The key is for the North Korean leader to decide.”

"It is extremely important for North Korea to normalize diplomatic relations with Japan to walk along the right track as part of international society, while accepting its requirements."

 "I will not just sit and talk for nothing.”

 "There is no way we will provide major economic assistance without resolving the abduction issue."

 May 9, 201830

 On May 9, 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting following their trilateral meeting with China. During the meeting Prime Minister Abe said,

 "I will cooperate with President Moon and South Korea so that we may secure concrete actions by North Korea for denuclearization through the North Korea-U.S. summit.”

 "When sanctions against North Korea will be reduced or removed is important. We must not offer rewards to North Korea simply for shutting down its Punggye-ri nuclear test site or not launching intercontinental ballistic missiles.”