Kim's pledge leaves room to buy time

Trump concedes on schedule and verification, risking a repeat of old failures

20180612N Trump ignored by Kim in handshake

U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to shake North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's hand during their summit at the Capella Singapore hotel on June 12. (Pool photo via Reuters)

YOSUKE ONCHI and HIROSHI MINEGISHI, Nikkei staff writers

SINGAPORE -- North Korea's agreement to pursue "complete denuclearization" at the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un has the U.S. president claiming success but lacks the details needed to ensure follow-through by Pyongyang.

The North said it will work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in a joint statement from Tuesday's first-ever summit by leaders from both sides. The same goal was set at April's meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. In the new statement, Trump promises "security guarantees" to Kim's government.

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