Korean summit: After Trump deal, mission is now to reassure region

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will embark on a mission today to reassure South Korea and Japan about their security.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, yesterday. Picture: AFP

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will embark on a mission today to reassure South Korea and Japan that their security will not be weakened by Donald Trump’s ­historic summit deal with Kim Jong-un.

Both US allies were caught by surprise by the President’s ­announcement that America would suspend joint US-South Korean military exercises because they were “provocative” towards North Korea.

The President also floated the possibility of withdrawing some or all of the 32,000 US troops from South Korea if Kim made progress on his promise to get rid of his ­nuclear weapons.

The joint military exercises and the large US troop presence in South Korea have been key pillars of the nation’s defence posture since the Korean War as a protection against North Korea.

Mr Pompeo travelled to Seoul yesterday for meetings today with President Moon Jae-in and also separately with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to discuss the security implications of the Trump-Kim agreement.

Japan and South Korea welcomed the outcome of the summit but security analysts warned that the changed US military position would undercut the ­security of both countries and the region.

Mr Trump returned to Washington yesterday and said the summit had helped the world avert a potential nuclear disaster.

His tweet said in part: “everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!”

But the summit agreement ­received a mixed response in Washington, with members of congress questioning whether the US gave up too much in its deal with North Korea.

The agreement committed North Korea to get rid of its ­nuclear weapons in return for US security guarantees, but it contained no timeline or details about how this would be achieved.

Republican senator Marco Rubio criticised Mr Trump for praising Mr Kim as “talented”.

“I hope I’m wrong but I still ­believe they will never give up their nukes and ICBMs,” Senator Rubio tweeted.

“(Kim) is NOT a talented guy. He inherited the family business from his dad and grandfather. He is a total weirdo who would not be elected assistant dog catcher in any democracy.”

The chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, ­Republican Bob Corker, said: “While I am glad the President and Kim Jong-un were able to meet, it is difficult to determine what of (a) concrete nature has ­occurred.’’

Former vice-president Joe Biden said the deal with Kim had “given the North Korean ­regime many sought-after wins upfront without getting anything in ­return”.

He said the President’s suspension of US military exercises had “reduced our leverage and signalled a weakening of our alliance in return for vague promises to begin nuclear negotiations”.

Mr Trump said the exercises, the latest of which were due to be held in late August, were provocative and expensive.

North Korea’s state-run media, KCNA, portrayed the summit as a major triumph for its supreme leader.

But it said the agreement was a “step-by-step” process intended to bring US rewards in ­exchange for gradual steps to dismantle its nuclear program.

Mr Trump said there would be no lifting of economic sanctions until the US was convinced that North Korea’s nuclear weapons were no longer a threat.

KCNA also portrayed Mr Trump’s decision to suspend military exercises as a response to Kim’s demands. It said Kim told Mr Trump “that it is urgent to make bold decision on halting irritating and hostile military actions against each other”.

Mr Trump again thanked Kim yesterday “for taking the first bold step towards a bright future for his people”.

“There is no limit to what NoKo can achieve when it gives up its nuclear weapons and embraces commerce and engagement with the world,” Mr Trump said.

He also attacked his critics who opposed the meeting.

“A year ago the pundits and talking heads, people that couldn’t do the job before, were begging for conciliation and peace — ‘please meet, don’t go to war.’ Now that we meet and have a great relationship with Kim Jong-un, the same haters shout out, ‘you shouldn’t meet, do not meet’,” he tweeted.

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia