Labor not holding breath on North Korea

Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong says more needs to be done following the historic US-North Korea summit in Singapore.

Kim Jong-un walks towards Donald Trump at their Singapore summit.

Labor says the historic summit between North Korea and the US hasn't ended the threat. (AAP)

Australians are not yet any safer following the groundbreaking summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Labor says.

The two countries may have reaffirmed their intent to denuclearise the Korean peninsula but what happens next is what really matters, warns Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong.

"We need it to be more than a speed date and we need it to be more than a headline," Senator Wong told the ABC on Sunday.

"It was historic and it was important. But what happens next is what really matters."

Asked whether the world was safer following the summit, Senator Wong replied: "You would have to say not yet."

The whole purpose of sanctions against North Korea had been to ensure peace and stability in the region, Senator Wong added.

"It is not simply a bilateral discussion between the US and North Korea as important as that is," Senator Wong said.

"It is about the stability of the whole region."

Tom Switzer, head of the The Centre for Independent Studies, told the ABC this would be the first of many negotiations.

"The president has invited Kim to the White House, I think that has been reciprocated," Mr Switzer said.

"We're still a way from that, but again, look how far we've gone in just six months. This is quite extraordinary."


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Source: AAP


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