the united states is going through something of a miracle itself. all stock market is at an all—time high. unemployment is at a 17 year low. we are defeating isis. we are strengthening ourjudiciary, including a brilliant supreme court justice and on and on and on. currently stationed in the vicinity of this dimension are the three largest aircraft carriers in the world. loaded to the maximum with magnificent f 35 and f—18 fighter jets. in addition we have nuclear submarines appropriately positioned.

the united states, under my administration, is completely rebuilding its military and is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to the newest and finest military equipment anywhere in the world being built right now. i want peace through strength. applause .we applause . we are helping the republic of korea far beyond what any other country has ever done and, in the end, we will work things out far better than anybody understands or can even appreciate. i know that the republic of korea, which has become a tremendously successful nation, will be a faithful ally of the united states, very long into the

future. applause . what you have built is truly a inspiration. your economic transformation was linked to a political one. the proud sovereign and independent people of your nation demanded the right to govern themselves. you secured three parliament terry elections in 19 88th, the same year you posted your first olympics. soon after you elected your first civilian president in more than three decades and with the republic faced financial crisis, you lined up by the millions to give your most prized possessions— wedding rings, heirlooms— to restore the promise of

a better future for your children. applause . your wealth is measured in more than money. it is measured in achievements of the mind and achievements of the mind and achievements of the mind and achievements of spirit. over the last several decades, your scientists have engineered so many magnificent things. you have pushed the boundaries of technology. pioneered miraculous medical treatment and emerged as leaders in unlocking the mysteries of our universe. korean authors penned roughly 30,000 books this year. korean musicians filled concert halls all around them world. young korean students graduate from couege korean students graduate from college at the highest rates of any

country and korean golfers are some of the best on earth. applause . in fact, and you know what i going to say, the women's us open was held this year at sharp national golf clu b this year at sharp national golf club in newjersey and, itjust happened to be one buying a great korean golfer. and eight of the top ten players were from korea. the top four golfers, one, to, three, four, the top four were from korea. congratulations. congratulations.

applause . that is something. that is really something. here in seoul, architectural wonders like the 63 building, and the world tower, very beautiful, graced the skies and housed the workers many growing industries. you feed the hungry, fight terrorism and sold problems all over the world and, in a few months, you will host the world and you will do a magnificentjob at the 23rd olympic winter games. good luck. applause . the korean miracle extends exactly as far as the armies of free nations advanced in 1953. 25 miles to the

north. there it stops. it all comes to an end. dead stop. the flourishing ends and the prison state of north korea sadly begins. workers in north korea, working in unbearable conditions, gruelling hours, for almost no pay. recently the entire working population was ordered to work for 70 days straight 01’ ordered to work for 70 days straight or else pay for a day of rest. families leave in homes without plumbing and fewer than half have electricity. —— live. parents bribed teachers. more than a million north koreans died of famine in the 1990s and more continued to die of hunger today. among children under the age of five, nearly 30% are reflected by

its stu nted of five, nearly 30% are reflected by its stunted growth due to malnutrition, and yet, it into thousands wealth and 2013, the regime is spent an estimated $200 million, or almost half the money that it allocated to improve living standards for its people, to instead build even more monuments, towers and statues to glorify its dictators. what remains of the meagre harvests of the north korean economy is distributed according to perceived loyalty to a twisted regime. farfrom valuing its people is equal, it measures and scores and rank them based on the most

arbitrary indications of their allegiance to the state. those who score the highest in loyalty may live in the capital city. those who score the lowest, starve. a small action can wreck the social rank of an entire family for many decades. an estimated 100,000 north koreans suffer in gulag is, toiling in forced labour and ensure that torture, starvation, rape and murder ona torture, starvation, rape and murder on a constant basis. in 19 instance, a nine or old boy was imprisoned 1a yea rs a nine or old boy was imprisoned 1a years because his grandfather was

accused of treason. in another, a student was beaten in school before getting a single detail about the life of kim jong—un. soldiers getting a single detail about the life of kimjong—un. soldiers have kidnapped farmers and forced them to work as language tutor is the north korean spies. in the part of korea that was a stronghold for christianity before the war, christians and other people of faith, who found praying or holding a religious book of any kind, are 110w a religious book of any kind, are now detained, tortured and, in many cases, even executed. north korean women are forced to abort babies that are considered ethnically inferior and if these babies are born, the newborns are murdered. one woman's baby born to a chinese

father was taken away in a bucket. the guard said, it did not deserve to live because it was impure so why would china feel an obligation to help north korea 7 would china feel an obligation to help north korea? the horror of life in north korea is so complete that citizens pay bribes to government officials to have themselves exported abroad as slaves. they would rather be slaves than live in north korea. the attempt to flee is a crime punishable by death. one person who escaped remarked, when i think about it now, i was not a human being, i was more like an animal. only after leading north korea did i realise what life was supposed to be. and so, on the ——

this peninsula, we watched an experiment in a lavatory of history. it isa experiment in a lavatory of history. it is a tale of one people but two koreas. one career in which people to control of their lives and their country and chose a future of freedom and justice, of civilisation and incredible achievement. and another career in which leaders imprisoned their people under the banner of tyranny, fascism and oppression. the result of this experiment are in and they are totally conclusive. when the korean war began in1950, totally conclusive. when the korean war began in 1950, that two koreas we re war began in 1950, that two koreas were approximately equal in gdp per capita but by the 1990s, south

korea's wealth has surpassed north korea's wealth has surpassed north korea by more than ten times and today the south‘s economy is over a0 times larger, so you started the same short time ago and now you are a0 times larger. you are doing something right. considering the misery wrought by the north korean dictatorship, it is no surprise that it has been forced to take increasingly desperate measures to prevent its people from understanding this brutal contrast, because the regime fears the truth above all else, it forbids virtually all contact with the outside world. notjust my all contact with the outside world. not just my speech all contact with the outside world. notjust my speech today all contact with the outside world. not just my speech today that even the most common place facts of south korean lives are forbidden knowledge

to the north korean people. western and south korean music is banned. position of foreign media is a crime. punishable by death. citizens spy crime. punishable by death. citizens spy on fellow citizens. their homes is subject to search at any time and at their every action is subject to surveillance. the place of a vibrant society, they are bombarded by state propaganda. practically every waking hour of the day. north korea is a country ruled as a cult. at the centre of this military cult is a deranged belief in the leader's destiny to rule as parent protect over a conquered korean peninsula

and is laid korean people. the more successful south korea becomes, the more decisively you discredit the dark fantasy at the heart of the kim regime. in this way, the very existence of a driving south korean republic threatens the very survival of the north korean dictatorship. this city and this assembly are living proof that a free and independent career not only can but does stand strong, sovereign and proud among the nations of the world. here, the strength of the nation does not come from the false

glory. it comes from the true and powerful glory of a strong and great people, the people of the republic of korea. a korean people who are free to live, to flourish, to worship, to love, to build and to grow their own destiny. in this republic, the people have done what no dictator ever could. you took, with the help of the united states, responsibility for yourselves, and ownership of your future. you had a dream, a korean dream, and you build that dream into a great reality. in so that dream into a great reality. in so doing, you performed the miracle that we see all around us, from the stunning skyline of seoul, to the

plains and pea ks stunning skyline of seoul, to the plains and peaks of this beautiful landscape. you have done it freely. you have done it happily, and you have done it in your own very beautiful way. this reality, this wonderful place, your success, is the greatest cause of anxiety, alarm, and even panic, to the north korean regime. that is why the kim regime seeks conflict abroad. to distract from total failure that they suffer at home. since the so—called armistice, there have been hundreds of north korean attacks on americans and south koreans. these attacks have included the capture and torture of the brave american soldiers of the uss pueblo, repeated assaults on american helicopters,

and the 1969 drowning of a us surveillance plane, that killed 31 american servicemen. the regime has made numerous lethal incursions in south korea, attempted to assassinate senior leaders, attacked south korean ships, and tortured otto warmbier, ultimately leading to that fine young man's death. all the while, the regime has pursued nuclear weapons with the deluded hope that it could lack male its way to the ultimate objective. and that objective, we are not going to let it have. we're not going to it have. all of korea is under that spell, divided in half. south korea will

never allow what is going on in north korea to continue to happen. the north korean regime has pursued its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in defiance of every assurance, agreement and commitment it has made to the united states and its allies. it has broken all of those commitments. after promising to freeze its plutonium programme in 199a, it repeated the benefits of the deal, and then... and then immediately continued its illicit nuclear activities. in 2005, after yea rs of nuclear activities. in 2005, after years of diplomacy, the dictatorship agreed to ultimately abandon its nuclear programmes, and returned to the treaty on non—proliferation. but it never did, and worse, it tested the very weapons it said it was

going to give up. in 2009, the united states gave negotiations yet another chance, and offered north korea the open hand of engagement. the regime responded by seeking —— sinking a south korean navy ship, killing a6 korean sailors. to this day, it continues to launch missiles over the sovereign territory of japan, and all other neighbours, test nuclear devices, and develop icbms to threaten the united states itself. the regime has interpreted america's past restraint as weakness. this would be a fatal miscalculation. this is a very different administration than the

united states has had in the past. today, i hope i speak not only for our countries, but for all civilised nations, when i say to the north, do not underestimate us, and do not try us. not underestimate us, and do not try us. we will defend our common security, our shared prosperity, and our sacred liberty. we did not choose to draw here, on this peninsula... applause this magnificent peninsula, the thin line of civilisation that runs around the world, and down through time. but here, it was drawn. and here it remains to this day. it is

the line between peace and war, between decency and depravity, between decency and depravity, between law and tyranny, between hope and total despair. it is a line that has been drawn many times, in many places throughout history. to hold that line is a choice of free nations have always had to make. we have learned together the high cost of weakness, and the high stakes of its defence. america's men and women in uniform have given their lives in the fight against nazism, imperialism, communism and terrorism. america does not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will never run from it. history is filled with discarded regimes that have foolishly tested america's

resolve. anyone who doubts the strength or determination of the united states should look to our past, and you will doubt it no longer. we will not permit america, or our allies, to be blackmailed or attacked. we will not allow american cities to be threatened with destruction. we will not be intimidated. and we will not let the worst atrocities in history be repeated here on this ground we fought and died so hard to secure. applause that is why i come here, to the heart of a free and flourishing career, —— korea, with a message to

the peaceloving nations of the world. the time for excuses is over. now is the time for strength. if you wa nt now is the time for strength. if you want peace, you must stand strong at all times. the world... applause the world cannot tolerate the menace ofa the world cannot tolerate the menace of a rogue regime that threatens with nuclear devastation. all responsible nations mustjoin forces to isolate the brutal regime of north korea, the —— to deny it, and any form of it, you cannot support, you cannot supply, you cannot accept. we call on every nation, including china and russia, to fully implement un security council resolutions, downgrade diplomatic relations with the regime, and sever

all ties of trade and technology. it is our responsibility, and our duty, to co nfro nt is our responsibility, and our duty, to confront this danger together. because, the longer we wait, the greater the danger grows, and the fewer the options become. applause and through those nations that choose to ignore this threat, or worse still, to enable it, the weight of this crisis is on your conscience. i also have come here to this peninsula to deliver a message directly to the leader of the north korean dictatorship. the weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer. they are putting your regime in grave danger. every step you take down the dark path increases the peril you face. north korea is not

the paradise your grandfather envisioned. it is a hell that no person deserves. yet, despite every crime you have committed against god and man, you are —— we are ready to offer, and we will do that, we will offer, and we will do that, we will offer a path to a much better future. it begins with an end to the development of nuclear weapons, and complete, verifiable and total denuclearisation. applause applause a sky top view of this peninsula shows a nation of dazzling light in the south and a mass of impenetrable darkness in the north. we seek a

future of light, prosperity and peace. what we are only prepared to discuss this brighter path for north korea if its leaders ceased their threats and dismantle their nuclear programme. the sinister regime of north korea is right about only one thing. the korean people do have a glorious destiny. but they could not be more wrong about what that destiny looks like. the destiny of the korean people is not to suffer in the bondage of oppression, but to thrive in the glory of freedom. applause what south koreans have achieved on this peninsula is more than a victory for your nation. it is a

victory for your nation. it is a victory for your nation. it is a victory for every nation that believes in the human spirit, and it is our hope that someday soon all of your brothers and sisters in the north will be able to enjoy the fullest of life intended by guide had. your republic shows us all of what is possible —— intended by god. injusta what is possible —— intended by god. injust a few what is possible —— intended by god. in just a few decades, with only the ha rd in just a few decades, with only the hard work, courage and talents of your people, you turned this war—torn land into a nation blessed with wealth, rich in culture, and deepin with wealth, rich in culture, and deep in spirit. you built a home where all families can flourish, and where all families can flourish, and where all families can flourish, and where all children can shine and be happy. this career stands strong and tall among the great community of independent, confident, and peaceloving nations —— this korea. we are nations that respect our

citizens, cherish our liberty, treasure our sovereignty, and control our own destiny. we affirm the dignity of every person, and embrace the full potential of every soul, and we are always prepared to defend the vital interests of our people against the cruel ambition of tyra nts. people against the cruel ambition of tyrants. together we dream of a korea that is free, a peninsula that is safe, and families that are reunited once again. we dream of highways connecting north and south, of cousins embracing cousins, and this nuclear nightmare replaced with the beautiful promise of peace. until that day comes, we stand strong and alert. our eyes are fixed to the north, and our hearts praying for the day when all koreans can

live in freedom. thank you, god bless you, god bless the korean people. thank you very much, thank you. president donald trump, addressing south korea's national assembly. we will be looking in much more detail into this in just a few minutes. you are watching bbc news. of course, he praised the country's progress, vowing that the north will never be allowed to fulfil its nuclear ambitions. he told the north korean leadership the weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer, they are putting you in grave danger, and he urged the nation ‘s who are still trading with north korea, and he clearly most specifically mentioned china and russia, to fully complement un resolutions to sever all trade ties with north korea and downgrade diplomatic ties —— nations. for those nations who ignore this, he

says, the weight of all this is on you. he described north korea as a country ruled as a cult, a twisted regime, present state, cruel dictatorship. our correspondent, robin brant, joins us from seoul. what i use thinking about this? look, no fire and fury, no rocket man, no repetition of the threat to the united nations to destroy north korea. much more measured and tone it down. substantive in his mesh —— message as well. this speech was aimed atfour message as well. this speech was aimed at four groups. aimed at the international community, china, russia, everyone in the united nations and reminding them of the type of country north korea is. he described it as one point as a hell,