Communication late yesterday afternoon. Translator i had wanted to meet you again. And especially for both koreas. It is a sign of unfortunate history of the past. So for our two koreas to be able to have this opportunity for me to meet you here is very significant. This means that we can feel at ease and meet each other with positive mindsets. I believe that this will have a positive influence in all of our discussions in the future. Translator a symbol of the separation, but also a reminder of unfortunate past and the two countries with their long, unfortunate past as this place shows that we are willing to put an end to the unfortunate past
and also open a new future and provide Policy Opportunities in the future. Translator President Trump and myself, we have an excellent relationship with each other. If it wasnt for that good relationship, we would not have been able to make this sudden meeting possible. So this excellent relationship in the future as well, i hope that it can be the foundation for better it things in the future that people will be not expecting. And this will be a very Mysterious Force that allows us to overcome many difficulties that existed in the past. Translator it would not have been possible. So i would like to use this strong relation to create more good news which nobody expects in the past that also foretells the good relation. Well, i want to thank you, chairman. You hear the power of that voice. Nobodys heard that voice before. He doesnt do news conferences, in case you havent heard. And this was a special moment. And this is, i think, really, as president moon said, this is a historic moment, the fact that were meeting, and i want to thank chairman kim for something else. When i put out the social media notification, if he didnt show up, the press was going to make me look very bad. So you made us both look good, and appreciate it, but weve developed a freiggreat relation. I really think if you go back two and a half years and you look at what was going on prior to my becoming president , it was a very, very bad situation, a very dangerous situation for south korea, for north korea, for the world. And i think the relationship that weve developed has meant so much to so many people. And its just an honor to be with you, and it was an honor
that you asked me to step over that line, and i was proud to step over the line. I thought you might to that, i wasnt sure, but i was ready to do it, and i want to thank you. Its opini its been great, been great, very historic. One of the folks from the media were saying this could be a very historic moment. I guess thats what it was. I enjoy being with you, and thank you very much. Thank you, everyone. [ Media Chatter ] back out the door. Straight out back. Thank you. Thank you. Well, as you can see there, the president s Daughter Ivanka and Jared Kushner among those attending this bilateral here between President Trump and kim jong un. Kim jong un, when he had his moment to speak said that this
is an opportunity for the two countries to set aside what he called their unfortunate past. He described his relationship with President Trump as an excellent one. And one that made what he called a sudden meeting possible. President trump given his chance to speak spoke about the power of the voice of kim jong un there, called it a historic moment and once again, mentioned the Press Coverage of this all. Six or seventh time hes ton th done that since he arrived at the dmz saying if you didnt show up, mr. Chairman, the press would have made us look very bad. The two are going to continue their discussions, bilateral. We dont know how long that will take. We also dont know the specificity of this bilateral. Will they get into possible concessions or the timing of another meeting . Will this signal the restart of negotiations . Or more just Relationship Building between these two leaders . After that moment we witnessed
of President Trump crossing the border into north korea and now kim jong un crossing the border south into south korea. Paula hancocks is with me. Were a short distance away. We should point out, behind the smiles, kim jong un is a brutal dictator. He starves his people to fund his military and nuclear program. He has murdered members of his own family who challenged his leadership and authority. That is the backdrop here, but this is a president in trump whos been willing to look beyond that in a kim or a putin or a xi jinping. And speak about the power of their relationship. I should just note, paula, weve just learned that they are meeting in private now, kim and trump. Describe what you watched in these last few minutes here, since youve been up to that border area to see a u. S. President take a step across the border. I mean, it is remarkable. It is something that 24 hours ago would you not have expected to happen. Before you saw that tweet from the u. S. President , it was something that did seem, that it couldnt happen. But, of course, it is an image that will be played on a loop for days to come and certainly around the world. That is an image that is there to stay. What it does symbolize apart from a remarkable, historic moment and Photo Opportunity is hopefully these talks are no longer stalled. We have seen very little progress between these two sides since hanoi summit in february. In fact, we have seen kim jong un go back to some of his Missile Testing. Yes, the shortrange Missile Testing but Missile Testing all the same. What many hope this actually means is at least the two sides are talking again. And it is a topdown process, it always has been. Notable absence from this
bilateral is moon jaein of south korea. This is a one on one trumptokim communication channel. That is by kim jong uns choice, is it not . Yes, thats very good to note. We did see moon jaein briefly, but then he peeled away so these two leaders could talk. Weve heard a lot of criticism from north korea towards south korea in recent days. Just last week moon jaein said he believed in an interview that he believed there was behind the scenes dialog between the u. S. And north korea to set up this summit. The very next day we had a statement from kcna, the Foreign Ministry saying that is not true. This is between us and the United States. So it was a real proverbial, public slaptown to president moon jaein. We also heard moon jaein say i will be at the dmz, but this is between the u. S. And north korea. He was at pains to say that as well. He is obviously clear that kim
jong un does not want him might greatin mig mediating. The president s daughter and soninlaw were in the room. Were replaying this because weve never seen this before. Trump shaking the hand of kim jong un right at the north korean border. When he arrived there, kim jong uns words were good to see you again, i never thought i would see you here. And then invited the u. S. President to cross the border into the north saying you will be the first president to do this. President trump said he was open to that invitation. Well, he accepted that invitation. There he is, stepping across. And there he is on north korean soil. A first for a u. S. President , followed soon after by kim taking a step back into the south where he is now meeting facetoface with the u. S. President. Anna coren has been monitoring this from seoul, the events throughout the day. Do we know, anna, the substance of this bilateral, whether this is about Relationship Building . Or the possibility of more specific discussions of how to restart the actual Nuclear Negotiations . Jim, great question. I dont have the answer for you. Unfortunately. We tonight know what these two men are discussing. Obviously, they have reiterated that they share this excellent relationship, its because of this excellent relationship, this chemistry that donald trump mentions time and time again that allowed for this sudden, impromptu meeting. Obviously, we heard from kim jong un who backed it up. He said i never expected to see you here, meaning at the dmz, so perhaps that gives trumps explanation of it a thought that
came to him yesterday morning when he tweeted it out to the north Korean Leader, maybe that gives it credence. But certainly, this is very historic. There is no denying that. Slightly bizarre. Because the question is, what does this mean . If anything. These two leaders have been talking, now, for over a year. This is their third meeting. Since meeting in Singapore Last year. Hanoi, those talks ended abruptly in february of this year. And now were witnessing history. But it has it to be so much more. It cant just be a Photo Opportunity. It cant just be theatrics and the normalization of relations with the north Korean Leader. I mean, this man is a dictator. This man is a human rights abuser. This is a man who has ordered for the execution of his Family Members, not to mention, you know, he would rather starve, you know, his people and build a Nuclear Weapons program, which
is exactly what hes been doing the whole time that he as been talking to donald trump. Analysts will say that north korea has not stopped building its, its weapons program. Its Nuclear Weapons program. In fact, in the last 12 months, theyve created another half a dozen Nuclear Warheads that adds to their arsenal of 60 to 70 Nuclear Warheads. So really, the International Kunlt Community is going to expect a lot more. These images will flash around the world. Well see them time and time again. Theyll be on the front pages of newspapers and magazines. And for sure, this deserves, it deserves weight, there is no denying it deserves weight, but there has to be so much more, jim. There has it to be something concrete that comes from this, so that there is real steps
toward denuclearization on the korean peninsula. Weve seen the images. What follows the photo op . And we have seen photo ops before. We saw it In Singapore At their first summit and in hanoi at their second summit, and in neither case did subsequent agreement follow. That will be the test of the longer success and outcome of this meeting. I should note that former u. S. President s have visited north korea before, jimmy carter, bill clinton. Bill clinton went, for instance, to help secure the release of u. S. Prisoners held by north korea. Its a practice that north korea has repeated many times. And of course, under trumps leadership, one of those american prisoners came home Brain Damaged and later died. This is the nature of the leader and dictatorship and the regime that President Trump is meeting with right now. He calls it an honor to meet with him. He calls it an excellent relationship, but we cannot forget the nature of that
government, that regime as we watch these moments unfold here. I want to go back to comments just moments ago when President Trump and kim, together, spoke to reporters, gathered there at the border, shortly after kim came across the border to the south. Have a listen. Chairman kim, how do you feel . Shes good, shes good. [ speaking in korean ] translator President Trump has just walked across the demarcation line. That made him the first u. S. President to visit our country. [ speaking in korean ] translator i believe, just looking at this action, this is an expression of his willingness
to eliminate all the unfortunate past and open a new future. I just want to say that this is my honor. I didnt really expect it. We were in japan for the g 20. We came over, and i said hey, im over here, i want to call up chairman kim. And we not got to meet. And stepping across that line was a great honor. A lot of progress has been made, a lot of friendships have been made, and this is in particular a great friendship. Want to thank you. That was very quick notice and i want to thank you. [ speaking in korean ] so were going to go inside. Were going to talk for a little
while about different things, and a lot of really positive things are happening, and im glad you could be here to see it, but tremendous positivity, really great things are happening, and in a lot of places, but we met, and we liked each other from tday one, and that was very important. [ speaking in korean ] that was President Trump and kim jong un of north korea, speaking to reporters just a few moments ago before they went to a private, closedtowadoor meet. These are live pictures right now outside that bilateral meeting where kim and trump are meeting now by themselves. Jim acosta has been following the president throughout his travels in asia. Jim, do we know the broad outlines of this facetoface now Behind Closed Doors between kim and trump . Do we know if theyre getting to the actual substance of theNuclear Negotiations . Or do we believe this is more in the category of Relationship Building . Reporter jim, i think this is Relationship Building. Well have to wait until we get a read out from officials on the scene. I just talked to a source on the scene with the president and kim jong un for their meeting, this meeting theyre having right now could go on for some time. No word on how long its going to go on. Its essentially going to go on as long as these two leaders want to continue talking to one another. I want to give ah little color as to Whats Going On, and i can relate to some of this. According to a source on the scene there for the president s meeting, the new White House Press secretary, Stephanie Grisham got into a bit of a scuffle with the north koreans, trying to hustle the members of the White House Press pool into position to cover this historic meeting. According to the source i just spoke with a few moments ago, grisham was a bit bruised in some of this, and my sense of it
is shes okay, but i can tell you, jim, having been in the pool covering the president with kim jong un In Singapore A year ago, this can get quite contentious with the north korean state Media Representatives. They were pushing and shoving us when we were in singapore, and so it sounds as though, and you saw some of this play out on camera, i think. You heard some of the yelling and shouting among people inside that scrum of reporters in north korea Media Representatives, it can get pretty rough in there. And thats apparently what happened. Now in terms of the substance and Whats Going On between the president and kim jong un, were just going to have to wait and sigh how th see how this all plays out, but i do think its striking, that the president , right on the spot there was inviting kim to the white house, he wants episode four of this reality tvstyle relationship that he has brought to the forefront with kim jong un. The question is, of course, whether or not these episodes actually reveal anything or
produce anything in terms of substance. But, as youre seeing there, just a few moments ago, in these almost unimaginable pictures, seeing a u. S. President on north korean soil, there is sort of a human break through here, a diplomatic break through here, just in the sense that they have developed this relationship, potentially, that could yield big dividends down the road. Well have to wait and see. Youre saying the White House Press secretary was physically bruised in an encounter with north korean aides to kim jong un . Physically bruised . Thats what im told, there was a scuffle, a scuffling going on between the Press Secretary and the north korean Media Representatives to get the pool in there, and i will tell you, having been in some of these scrums before, one of these scrums before with the north koreans, this is a rough crowd that doesnt want to yield space when it comes to getting that shot of the north korean dictator. They can be, you know, they can be rough. Theyll be pushing and shoving,
and it sounds as though the new Press Secretary whos just on the job you know for a week or so, got into it a bit with the north koreans in trying to hustle members of the White House Press pool in for this meeting. Its a reminder of the north, theres no Press Freedom there. This is, this is a brutal regime. Kim jong un is at the top of a brutal regime with a long history of much worse. But that is quite a moment hear to see the White House Press secretary physically bruised. Now jim, the president has in the past talked about his desire or at least his openness to welcoming the north Korean Leader to the white house. It appears now he has delivered that invitation personally to the north korean president. Right. Do we have any accept sense timing of when that would become a reality . We dont. My sense of it is, jim, that the president would like this timed so, you know it pays back some difds for the upcoming president ial campaign. The other thing i will point out, you saw this in the pictures