Singapore’s Role Post Trump-Kim Summit

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs after the Trump-Kim summit (a) what role can Singapore play to keep up the momentum for dialogue between the US and North Korea; (b) whether Singapore is involved in any diplomatic efforts to encourage the denuclearisation of North Korea; and (c) how has the summit strengthened relations between Singapore and North Korea.

Singapore acceded to the request by the United States (US) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to host the Summit between US President Donald Trump and DPRK State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un on 12 June 2018. We did so in order to facilitate peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Before I address the role of Singapore in future developments on the Korean Peninsula, allow me to highlight two key features of the Summit that resonated with some of the key attributes of Singapore.

First, the choice of Singapore as the venue of the Summit reaffirmed our reputation as an impartial, reliable and safe country. We did not put our hand up or volunteer to host the Summit, but we were pleased to provide a conducive and secure venue which had the full confidence of both parties. The US and DPRK have publicly stated that they selected Singapore as host because we are politically neutral. Singaporeans can take pride in this expression of trust and confidence in us. We should continue to uphold our reputation as a credible, trusted and consistent partner that is able to play a constructive role on the international stage.

Second, hosting the Summit highlighted the importance of a whole-of-Government effort. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was the lead coordinating agency, an undertaking of this scale and nature is not something that MFA can do alone. We worked closely with other Ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), amongst others, to organise the Summit. The various agencies had to deal with the major security and logistical challenges, as well as facilitating the large global media presence. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of Team Singapore who made this Summit possible. I am also grateful to all Singaporeans for your understanding and patience during the Summit.

Let me now address the question on Singapore's role in the dialogue between the US and DPRK. We were not involved in the direct bilateral discussions between the US and DPRK that led to the signing of the Joint Statement between the two leaders in Singapore. Neither are we party to the ongoing discussions between the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), China, Russia and DPRK. Singapore welcomes the Joint Statement at the Singapore Summit, which is an important step forward, and we wish the US and DPRK success in implementing it.

Of course, we are aware that the Summit is only the first step in a long and difficult peace process. We hope that the US and DPRK will continue to engage in dialogue and make efforts towards peace, building on the agreement forged during the Singapore Summit. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers have also issued a statement welcoming the successful conclusion of the Summit.

Although Singapore is not party to the ongoing negotiations on the Korean Peninsula, anything that happens on the Peninsula will affect the rest of the region, including Singapore. It is in our collective interest to see a peaceful, stable and denuclearised Korean Peninsula, and we will continue to support efforts to these ends.

What are some of these efforts? On our part, we encourage the DPRK's engagement with the international community, such as through participation in multilateral fora. One of these is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF), which was just held in Singapore over the last weekend on 4 August 2018. The ARF is a constructive platform for participants to promote confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the region. It is currently the only ASEAN-led platform that DPRK is a member of, and we hope that their continued participation in the ARF would contribute to efforts in resolving the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The Singapore Summit has also helped broaden our relations with DPRK. Prime Minister Lee met Chairman Kim on the sidelines of the Summit, where the two leaders exchanged views on Singapore-DPRK relations, as well as developments in DPRK and on the Korean Peninsula. I also visited Pyongyang in the lead-up to the Summit, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. During my visit, I called on the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong Nam, and met Foreign Minister Ri. We had wide-ranging and frank discussions on bilateral relations, developments on the Korean Peninsula and global issues. I continued my discussion on these issues when I hosted Foreign Minister Ri on his visit to Singapore last week, in conjunction with his participation in the ARF. These engagements with DPRK have increased the mutual understanding between our two countries.

At the same time, notwithstanding the positive developments on the Korean Peninsula in recent months, the reality is that United Nations Security Council sanctions on DPRK remain in place. All UN member states, including Singapore, are obligated to implement the UN Security Council Resolutions. We take our international obligations seriously and remain committed to fully implementing the sanctions. We look forward to concrete progress towards the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, which would create an environment for the easing of sanctions.

We will continue to keep our channels with DPRK open, while fully complying with the UN Security Council Resolutions. We encourage DPRK to continue engaging with the international community through multilateral fora. We hope that all parties involved will continue the dialogue and efforts towards establishing lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.