Updated October 5, 2019 Foreign Policy & War
Major Abuse of Power
North Korea 'Diplomacy': No Inspectors, Continued Weapons Development, Strategic Concessions
Trump's three meetings with Kim Jong-un (Singapore June 2018, Hanoi February 2019, DMZ June 2019) produced vague joint statements but no binding agreements. North Korea did not submit to inspections, did not provide a declaration of nuclear assets, and did not halt weapons development. Trump unilaterally suspended U.S.-South Korea military exercises after the Singapore summit, calling them 'very expensive war games' and using language Kim had used — a significant concession military commanders opposed. North Korea tested missiles throughout 2019. Talks broke down at Hanoi when the U.S. declined to trade all sanctions for only partial denuclearization.