The path ahead with North Korea remains uncertain—even following assurances of
On Sunday, a Trump administration official said that the “U. S. has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” according to the Wall Street Journal .
The confirmation follows what seems to be weeks of backchannel diplomatic efforts between the United States and the North Korean government, with the U. S. effort being led primarily by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Though the CIA as a choice to lead diplomatic outreach to North Korea might seem odd at first glance, President Donald Trump has chosen to nominate current CIA Director Mike Pompeo to take over at the State Department.
Should all go well with Pompeo’s confirmation, he should be in place by the time of a prospective summit meeting between Trump and Kim.
Hearing that the U. S. has confirmed Kim’s willingness to discuss “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” however, is far from a surprise.
As several analysts of Korean peninsula affairs have noted — including Clint Work here at The Diplomat — that phrase can be a hairy source of ambiguity and disagreement.
It remains unclear if Trump recognizes what “denuclearization of the Korean peninsula” might entail for the United States.
Though Kim Jong-un has yet to clarify what steps he has in mind for the United States and South Korea, it’s highly likely that in order for any concessions from the North Korean side, Kim will request serious modifications to the U.
