Trump-Kim bilateral talks end, no word yet on what was discussed

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After initial one-on-one exchanges lasting around 40 minutes on Tuesday morning, US President Donald Trump and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un emerged, walking side-by-side through the colonnaded hotel before entering a meeting room, where they were joined by their most senior officials.

Kim was heard telling Trump through a translator: "I think the entire world is watching this moment. Many people in the world will think of this as a scene from a fantasy...science fiction movie."

Trump and Kim were joined later by key members of their respective delegations at the expanded bilateral talks.

The talks started around 10:00 a.m., and no word on the discussion has been heard so far.

The two sides later started their working lunch together around 11:53 a.m..

'We will solve it'

"Working together we will get it taken care of," Trump told Kim at the start of the wider meeting. "We will solve a big problem" and "a big dilemma."

"We will solve this, we will be successful, and I look forward to working on it with you," the US president added. "It will be done."

Kim replied that Trump had overcome all kinds of skepticism and speculation to come to the summit and he believed it would prove to be "a big prelude to peace."

He added he was prepared to cooperate more closely with Trump, although big challenges may lie ahead.

Who is at the expanded talks?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled to the DPRK twice earlier this year to negotiate and finalize the summit, Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser John Bolton made up Trump’s team.

Kim's team comprised former military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea.

During the face-to-face discussion between Trump and Kim, the US president predicted the meeting would be "tremendously successful" and that "we'll have a terrific relationship." Kim told reporters "obstacles" had been overcome to get to this point.

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Source(s): Reuters