There are several possible reasons — and none bode well for successful talks.
U. S. President Donald Trump’s spontaneous decision to accept North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s invitation to meet face-to-face has generated tons of commentaries by pundits and analysts of various stripes. However, few have figured out why so far neither the North Korean government nor Kim himself has stepped forward to confirm (or deny) the planned meeting. This is both interesting and puzzling.
One can only speculate on the reasons behind Pyongyang’s silence. There are several possibilities.
First of all, it is most likely that Kim Jong-un was caught off-guard by Trump’s impulsive decision to meet, reportedly made on the spot when the South Korean delegation was in the White House briefing U. S. officials on their just completed Pyongyang trip. Given that Trump and Kim have been engaged in a fiery war of words until recently, it is hard for Kim (or anyone) to believe that Trump is willing to talk without preconditions. Kim may need time to digest this and is apparently being very cautious about the significant development.
As a high-ranking Japanese Foreign Minister official said, describing the shockwaves reverberating in Tokyo after the announcement, “It never occurred to us that such a decision would be made at this time.” China was in a similar situation and was obviously not consulted by either Washington or Pyongyang in advance. During a phone conversation with Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed support for the Trump-Kim meeting and the diplomatic solution of the problem. Privately however, China is said to be concerned that its role may be diminishing on the Korean Peninsula. Both Japan and China worry that they may be left behind in the new diplomatic effort to address the North Korea nuclear issue.
Left unsaid in such analyses, however, is that North Korea itself, like other countries in the region, also appears unprepared for a sudden détente between Washington and Pyongyang.
