Transcript for Kim Jong Un, Trump meet for historic summit

This. Is an ABC news special report trump and the historic summit bell reporting from the sale. George Stephanopoulos. Good evening and welcome to a moment of history we are live from Singapore where president trump. Is about to become the first American president to meet with a dictator of North Korea. It is a moment rich with opportunity and risk success here could reduce the risk of nuclear war usher in a new era of peace. They're could force military action a catastrophic conflict with the US troops right on the front lines that is where president trump will greet Kim Jong line. It's a meeting months in the making hard to believe. That just months ago both leaders were threatening each other a nuclear obliteration. They're expected to walk out there it's on Santos island here in Singapore the capella hotel. Read each other before the cameras then go behind closed doors for about 45 minutes alone only translators. And then they'll be joined by the broader delegation supposed to last most of the day but both president trump. And Kim expected to leave Singapore before the end of the day right now. Jonathan Karl is whether our White House delegation John president Tran says he'll know in the first minute whether he can work with can. They also says he has been preparing George his whole life for this moment. But this has been a process this whole process. Has been driven by the president by president acting on his own instinct and his own counsel a president who accepted this invitation. From Kim Jong-un in an instant. And that council its own counsel was known as big we have will be driving. This moment today as you point out George the first meeting extraordinary in so many ways including the fact it will just be those two men Kim Jong-un. Donald Trump and the translator. Trying to get a feel for each other see if a peace can be forged. 65 years since the cease fire that end the fighting in the Korean War of course has been no peace treaty. Plus a driver chief global affairs anchor Martha Raddatz in mark to the big question on the table. Is north we are willing to give up. Its nuclear weapons what can president trump offer came to convince him he doesn't mean. Well we know that Kim Jung amidst said he we'll talk about denuclearization. He will discuss that or we wouldn't be here today president trump made that very clear. That has to be on the table. Most experts most former officials will tell you he will never give out those weapons but I think if you read that conventional wisdom about that. Maybe Kim does want to come into the modern world maybe he does want its economy to improve. What he does want is more meetings then just this one both president trump. Both and and Kim want more meetings they say this is a process Kim obviously if he decides to seek nuclear rights it will take awhile. That this is something we will not know the results of for a long time but what he wants in exchange. It's security. With out weapons if it can't trust the. Could take months and years what was at the David Muir also here. We know David that nuclear weapons are what got him here today he's already achieved. What his father put his grandfather couldn't sharing a stage with the American president. A no question George and the numbers when it comes to that nuclear arsenal to stunning. Under Kim Jong-un they've launched more ballistic missiles than his father and grandfather combined. Four of the six nuclear tests have happened under Kim Jong moon that hydrogen explosion just a few months back believed to be larger than here seem. But George as you point out. Many observers say the first victory for Kim Jong-un is just appearing in moments here with the president of the united. States the leader of the free world and that. Gentlemen about to come out right now. We expect to see Kim Jung on both the president and Kim Jung and are there. There will be walking from opposite sides as we see president trump. Getting prepared to walk to center stage. And there it is. The first handshake between the United States president in North Korean dictator. Donald Trump Kim Jong-un. 65 years in the making. He can't read exactly what presidential Hussein Kim Jong onward they're but he is now facing the cameras. No smiles from either man. But a thank you for president trump. We will now go behind closed doors for that one on one meeting. With translators. Some smiles now the during the quarter. The first reading between the United States president. North Korean dictator. Guests are getting started before they go behind closed doors Jonathan Goff. On another home George. It takes a look at those two individuals but two liters two of the most unpredictable. Leaders in the war old. Standing together. Over the most of the past year George the conversation back and forth. Was. Torrenting was personal insults was talk of war. And there you see that getting that. Now and what we just to get little cameras are getting together and had a gun inside John. Yeah that was Teddy cor graph the question is what will happen when they get behind those closed doors we're gonna see a minute of that. And David Muir let me let me bring in there as well they both kept on their game faces before the cameras normally got behind. That tell you saw them both breaking the smile. Into smiles with the world watching and I'm so Curious George how much English Kim Jong-un actually. Understands we know he was educated in Switzerland along with his Brothers we know he's a lover of western culture movies James Bond Jackie Chan American basketball. But we do believe the president Kim Jong will be in this room alone with only their translators and for at least the first meeting here good part of that first meeting. And what's unclear is how much they'll be actually speaking in English they can jumble understand and and perhaps a full offer some English and. Return Martha Raddatz happened to the last several months the American probably knew tension and best Dennis Rodman the former basketball player Mike Pompeo though the secretary of state has met within. In recent months heading up to this meeting. We also believe though don't know for sure the president trump has likely talked to them over the foreign but it over the phone but of course this is the first face to face it. Exacting its extraordinary I think of the three of us in so many times in the last few months talking about. A possibility of war and being on that border that DMZ. Myself a few months ago and realizing that. These are two nations that could go to war and the military preparing for that and I did see the hand on the shoulder that president trump. But on Kim Jung on its fighters and the words. The president trump has used to describe Kim Jung on the one to can diminish his describe the president obviously had a huge change in attitude at least the beginning. Of this meeting we don't know exactly what's going to happen once they get behind those stories for Martha you just made the point. Especially after those first tests and those threats from Kim Jung on the military was poised for possible military action no one was sure it wouldn't come. That that absolutely and you know one of the things we've talked that much is that Kim Jung Mon. Real meat stock. Before the US military cameras now inside the room for the president Kim John let's listen in. Tremendous success. Tremendously success. They're. Bob you can get it. Would. Who power like cool. Didn't even look good and did we Mormon. 10 as fit because I'm home games. And he is cold reduces and practices. Look as. Only fallen we overcame. And yet here. Take care for president Chuck Todd and Kim Jon Lundin. Present chops as. I guess is he'll. That's right there says he expects a very good meeting hoping for success. They overcome obstacles. To get here. Looking forward to what the day. Can bring. Did you meet you made the point Kim Jung and groomed in Switzerland for leadership picked by his father to become his successor. And it's such a mystery. To most of the war. We know so little about him in fact it was the president George as you were called just a few weeks back saying he was just 27 years old. A when he took over the regime and his father died the president saying say what you want but that's not easy especially at that age saying I'm not giving him credit. Or not giving him credit and to saying. It's a very hard thing to do a moment of respect from the president for that leader. The keep in mind this is a brutal dictator. He killed his uncle his trusted uncle when he believe that the uncle began plotting to recoup its widely believed that he was behind the assassination of his half brother. Well known for airport. That nerve agent administered by those two women. And of course. Millions of north Koreans back home to face starvation George food shortages and those rolling blackouts. The fact that he's sitting here beside the president the United States the leader of the free world. He's the store for again and and a victory already when the questions Martha that is how much of that the president will bring up how much we'll confront. Kim Jung and in this means I nations yon. The nuclear program. But I they're certainly call for him to do that to address those human rights issues in a big way. But president trump of course wants to be that they want this to be successful meeting you heard him say I think it will be tremendously successful and it is my honor. To meet Kim Jung on that certainly stood out in his remarks. They're off to a friendly start so far they've done more than a minute for assured president. And president trump said he would know within a minute whether he thought the meeting would be successful I think it took about a minute and a half Gordon before he said. You thought it would be tremendously successful. But let's go back to what we were saying a little bit before George and the military confrontation that we thought were so we all are US military was practicing. All the time or what made com. If Kim Jong I decided to do an atmospheric test we probably would have had to respond in some way or at least try to stop that in some way. But Kim Jung on decided not to go forward is that. Because it already if he doesn't now could very quickly gain the ability to put in nuclear warhead on economists. Of course if this meeting fails that prospect of military action could come to the fore again but for now. We've seen handshakes from seeing smiles from both leaders both looking confident. Both hoping that we'll be success. Meeting one on one now whether translators that wider delegations will follow we're gonna stay here. All night long all through the night with breaking reports as it warrants the first summit the two United States president and in North Korean dictator. Fossett ABC news back never regular program. This has been a special group. From ABC.

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