North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet Friday in talks that will set the stage for an even more high-stakes summit between President Trump and Kim.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are scheduled to meet Friday in a conference that will set the stage for an even more high-stakes summit expected between President Trump and Kim in the coming weeks.
All sides are engaging in pre-summit posturing.
Kim said over the weekend that he would suspend testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Trump praised the move in a tweet Sunday and South Korea on Monday suspended the broadcasting of K-pop music and propaganda messages they had been blasting from the demilitarized zone toward the North for years.
The gestures have eased tensions between North Korea and the West, which just last year raised fears of war, but the main issues remain unresolved.
Here are the key obstacles:
This is the most important issue — and the most contentious. Washington has argued that North Korea must give up its nuclear arsenal, which is now capable of hitting U. S. cities. Kim sees his nuclear weapons program as the key to his regime’s survival.
Potential compromises include an agreement by the North to freeze and reduce its arsenal over time, though it is unlikely Washington would agree to anything that limited.
Other key sticking points: Japan and other U. S. allies in the region might not be happy with the North holding on to any weapons that would remain a threat.
Another question: Would North Korea agree to inspectors to verify a denuclearization plan? “The key issue is going to be over the meaning and scope of denuclearization,” said Robert Einhorn, an analyst at the Brookings Institution.
Kim Jong Un’s announcement that he would suspend testing and give up a nuclear weapons site drew praise from President Trump. “Wow, we haven’t given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!” Trump tweeted on Sunday.
