On this day, 2 years ago, June 12th 2018 marked the 2018 North Korea–United States Summit in Singapore, a remarkable first step, supposedly towards achieve peace within the peninsula and the world!

However, 2 years later, North Korea publicly denounced the US and the decisions made during the summit, voicing despair and making vows to build its military. North Korea foreign minster, Ri Son-gwon stated that Pyongyang-Washington relations have not improved, before asking, “what need is there to keep holding the hands that shook in Singapore?”

The United States still maintained that it remains open to “meaningful negotiations.” An official with the US Department of State said,  “That offer remains on the table. We are willing to take a flexible approach to reach a balanced agreement on all of the Singapore summit commitments.”

After the meeting 2 years ago, Trump and Kim signed a joint statement outlining the direction of bilateral relations.

The four main points in the statement were to establish relations between the two countries for peace and prosperity, cooperating to achieve lasting peace, the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and returning the remains of those who died during the Korean War.

However, the agreement has led to little progress. The North has returned the remains of some remains of fallen Americans, and dismantled facilities related to its missile and nuclear weapons programs, but Pyongyang is now reverting to its belligerent stance toward the South and the US.

In addition, evidence has emerged suggesting that significant portions of the North’s weapons programs were never dismantled, and that Pyongyang may be restarting its missile programs.

For lighter-hearted news, click here to learn how Koreans spent their COVID-19 cash payouts (Hint : It's not on clubbing)