Donald Trump's salute to North Korean military general sparks debate on protocol

It was a moment we didn't see during his week's historic talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

However, newly released video from North Korean state media is raising eyebrows - not least because it shows the US President saluting a military general from a hostile regime.

The footage, which was part of a 42-minute documentary released by North Korean broadcaster KCTV, shows Mr Trump and Kim entering a room filled with several military officials from the secretive regime during Tuesday's Singapore summit.

Mr Trump shakes hands with some of the delegation and North Korean General No Kwang-chol who salutes the US President. Mr Trump salutes back after first extending his hand to the general.

The move was labelled an extraordinary sign of respect from a sitting President to a hostile regime, by CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi.

According to the US broadcaster, Mr Trump was briefed on protocol which states he shouldn't salute military officers from other countries.

However White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the gesture was simply about showing respect to Kim and his officials and the President was just using "common courtesy".

The move sparked a debate on whether the US President was out of line with his gesture.

Military and diplomatic analyst Rear Admiral John Kirby said this would play into North Korea's propaganda playbook and the President instead should have nodded his head and shook the general's hand.

Some on social media said they were surprised North Korea showed General No saluting the US President at all.

Others weren't so forgiving.

Republican Tim Walz tweeted the move wasn’t something he would have done and described it as awful.

Dr Dena Grayson, a former  candidate for US congress , also noted North Korea’s media was able to film this event while the western media wasn’t.

National Security Adviser and retired soldier Paul D Eaten, who served more than 30 years in the US army said the move was "wholly inappropriate for the Commander in Chief."

The release of the footage wouldn't be the greatest birthday present for Mr Trump who turned 72 yesterday.

Kim coming in from the international cold hasn't gone unnoticed by other world leaders with Vladimir Putin inviting Kim to the Kremlin.

The Russian President has asked top North Korean official Kim Yong-nam to pass on an invitation to Kim to visit Russia in September.

Kim Yong-nam is the head of the Supreme People’s Assembly and said Russia welcomes and would be assessing the summit.

Meanwhile US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted tough sanctions will remain on North Korea until its complete denuclearisation.

The statement contradicts the North's view that the process agreed at this week's summit would be phased and reciprocal.

Mr Trump and Kim issued a joint statement after their meeting in Singapore this week that reaffirmed the North's commitment to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula", while Trump "committed to provide security guarantees".

The US President later told a news conference he would end joint US-South Korean military exercises.

"President Trump has been incredibly clear about the sequencing of denuclearisation and relief from the sanctions," Mr Pompeo said after meeting South Korea's president and Japan's foreign minister in Seoul.

"We are going to get complete denuclearisation. Only then will there be relief from the sanctions.

North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that Kim and Mr  Trump had recognised the principle of "step-by-step and simultaneous action" to achieve peace and denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula.

The summit statement provided no details on when North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons program or how the dismantling might be verified.

With AP