SEOUL • Once rejected by North Korea as « human scum », US President Donald Trump’s latest pick for national security adviser has called for regime change in North Korea, prompting worries in Asia ahead of a historic summit between Washington and Pyongyang..
SEOUL • Once rejected by North Korea as « human scum », US President Donald Trump’s latest pick for national security adviser has called for regime change in North Korea, prompting worries in Asia ahead of a historic summit between Washington and Pyongyang.
Mr Trump announced in a tweet he was replacing General H. R. McMaster with Mr John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has advocated the use of military force against North Korea and Iran, and has previously been rejected as a negotiating partner by Pyongyang.
« This is worrisome news, » said Mr Kim Hack Yong, conservative lawmaker and head of the national defence committee of South Korea’s Parliament. « North Korea and the United States need to have dialogue, but this only fuels worries over whether the talks will ever happen. »
At Seoul’s presidential Blue House, which has been forced to navigate between the unpredictable personalities of leaders in both Pyongyang and Washington, officials were circumspect.
« Our stance is that if a new road opens, we have to go that path, » a senior Blue House official who asked not to be named told reporters.
« Bolton has much knowledge on the issues regarding the Korean peninsula and most of all, we know him to be one of the US President’s aides who is trusted. »
He said South Korea’s National Security Office head Chung Eui Yong had not yet spoken with Mr Bolton, and Mr Chung’s reaction to Gen McMaster’s dismissal was « not bad ».
