Trump presses North Korea by hinting at delay of summit By Kim Rahn
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President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump talk during their summit at the White House, Washington, D.C., Wednesday. / Yonhap |
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned the possibility of delaying his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting with President Moon Jae-in at the White House, Wednesday.
Trump said “all-in-one” denuclearization would be better than an incremental process with incentives, and it should be done over a very short period of time.
“There are certain conditions that we want. And I think we’ll get those conditions. And if we don’t, we won’t have the meeting,” Trump said. “Frankly, there’s a chance to be a great, great meeting for North Korea and a great meeting for the world. If it doesn’t happen, maybe it will happen later.”
He added, “It may not work out for June 12.”
But the U.S. president assured Kim of the safety of his regime, adding South Korea, China and Japan would invest in the North to help make the country “great” if it follows through on denuclearization.
US president suspects Xi is exerting influence
Moon and Trump discussed strategies for the Washington-Pyongyang summit and the North’s complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID), Cheong Wa Dae said.
The bilateral talks took place amid concerns the Trump-Kim summit may not have a successful outcome, because of Pyongyang’s recent change of stance from reconciliatory to rather hostile. Pyongyang threatened to reconsider the summit in protest of some U.S. officials’ advocacy of applying the “Libya model,” under which the North will not receive any compensation until it removes all of its nuclear weapons.
Moon and Trump shared their views on the North’s recent changed attitude, and discussed how to resolve Pyongyang’s concerns over regime security if it is completely denuclearized, according to Moon’s chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan.
“There is no need to doubt Kim’s determination to hold the summit with Trump,” Yoon quoted Moon as saying. “Washington and Pyongyang need to make detailed and practical agreements on denuclearization and regime security.”
Moon said the recent standoff may be resolved after the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint air force exercises that end May 25, which Pyongyang cited as its reason for canceling high-level talks with Seoul.
Ending war
The two leaders also discussed the two Koreas and the U.S. joining together to declare a formal end to the Korean War, which was proposed at the earlier inter-Korean summit.
Moon said he is certain the Washington-Pyongyang summit will be held as scheduled.
“My role is, rather than mediating between the U.S. and North Korea, closely cooperating with the U.S. for the success of the summit, which will have a great influence on the fate of South Korea and the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
Moon said he understands there are skeptical views in the U.S. over whether the Washington-Pyongyang summit will succeed and the complete denuclearization of the North is possible. “There have been multiple agreements between the U.S. and North Korea but this is the first time an agreement would be made between the leaders of the two nations,” he said.
He added the negotiation with North Korea this time would be different from previous ones because it involves the North’s leader who has openly declared complete denuclearization for the first time in the country’s history, and wants regime security and economic development.
Moon also highly evaluated Trump’s role, saying his strong leadership and Kim’s corresponding resoluteness have led to momentum on the nuclear issue. “I’m sure Trump can make the Washington-Pyongyang summit successful and thus end the Korean War, which has not been ended for 65 years, achieve the North’s complete denuclearization, establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and establish diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.”
Trump also said he has great confidence in Moon, who he said has brought a different perspective to the talks with North Korea. “I think he wants to have what’s good for the Korean Peninsula, not just North or South. For the entire Korean Peninsula. So I have tremendous confidence in President Moon.”
Trump said Kim’s second meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may have changed his attitude, reflecting speculations that in the meeting with Xi, Kim reconfirmed strong support from China, the North’s longtime ally. “There was a difference when (Kim) left China a second time.”
Earlier in the day Moon had a separate meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Moon told them the negotiations with the North would be long and difficult, but said Kim’s determination for the success of his summit with Trump was very clear.
Pompeo said he has been closely cooperating with National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon. “This is our highest priority,” Pompeo said. “We’re trying to get this right for your country, my country and for the world.”