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US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
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US needs to stop listing all its demands before summit even begins
As the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un approaches, the two sides are fighting an eleventh-hour battle to gain the high ground in the talks. The US has recently proposed a more sweeping solution to denuclearization, while North Korea has taken the unusual step of voicing its dissatisfaction, warning that continuing pressure and threats from the US will not help the two sides resolve their issues. Though the two sides mostly appear to be scrambling for the initiative in the upcoming meeting, successful negotiations demand that they refrain from provoking each other and seek a gradual solution. Recently, senior officials in the US have made a string of comments that appear to expand the level and scope of denuclearization. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has replaced the original concept of CVID (complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization) with PVID, which swaps out “complete” for “permanent,” while White House National Security Advisor John Bolton suggested that North Korea should dismantle all its ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction, including its biological and chemical weapons. On May 5, the US State Department insisted that North Korea’s satellite launches also constitute a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. In effect, the US is augmenting its list of demands shortly before the two leaders are set to meet. The remarks made by the spokesperson of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry in an interview on May 6 that “deliberately provoking the other party [. . . is] a dangerous attempt to pour cold water on the mood for dialogue [. . .] and to take us back to square one” appears to be a rebuttal of these demands. For the moment, it is impossible to know how far the back-door negotiations between the two sides have gotten and what they are wrangling about. Given reports indicating that the schedule of the North Korea-US summit is about to be announced, it is possible to conclude that they have reached a compromise on the big picture. Even so, they may run into unexpected difficulties over specific disagreements or additions to the agenda. It is unlikely that all the issues related to North Korea – including human rights and the Japanese abductees – can be dealt with during the summit in one fell swoop. The US and North Korea have been in a hostile relationship for a long period of time. That causes all kinds of contention to emerge leading up to the summit. There are probably also considerable forces in the US, North Korea and the international community who are not pleased with the current phase of dialogue for reasons of their own. At such a time, Trump and Kim must focus on the key agenda items and disputes that are capable of fundamentally transforming the situation. When one side increases its demands, it’s only natural for the other side to do the same. The various disputes related to North Korea can be dealt with in the proper order and through an appropriate process after Trump and Kim get the ball rolling. Rather than pushing hard on the assumption that the other side will give way, the two sides should have the wisdom to seek a phased-in solution while showing consideration and respect for each other. Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
