Diplomat Defector Claims N.Korea to Resume Nuclear Talks if Trump Wins
Ri Il Gyu, the senior North Korean diplomat whose defection to the South was reported last month, told Reuters that Pyongyang wants to reopen nuclear talks with the US if Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November in a bid to lift sanctions and unblock economic aid....
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Facts
- Ri Il Gyu, the senior North Korean diplomat whose defection to the South was reported last month, told Reuters that Pyongyang wants to reopen nuclear talks with the US if Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November in a bid to lift sanctions and unblock economic aid.[1]
- This comes as Trump suggested at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee earlier this month that Kim Jong Un likely wanted him back in the White House, as he boasted about their alleged close relationship.[2]
- North Korea issued a statement through its official KCNA news agency last week saying that Trump had failed to translate his personal bond with Kim into 'any substantial positive change' and that it's up to the US to stop bilateral hostilities.[3]
- Kim and Trump held the first-ever summit meeting between their countries in Singapore in 2018, but their diplomatic push experienced a setback after a second in Hanoi in 2019, which ended with no agreement.[4]
- Meanwhile, on Sunday, South Korea's National Defense Minister Shin Wonsik warned that Pyongyang had completed preparations and could conduct a nuclear weapons test 'right before or after' the US presidential election.[5]
- Late last year, POLITICO reported that the GOP presidential nominee was considering a plan that would see North Korea freeze its nuclear program to receive financial aid. Trump claimed the story was disinformation put out by 'Democrat Operatives.'[6]
Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Independent, [3]Korea Herald, [4]New York Times, [5]Newsweek and [6]Politico.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The Hill. Trump still believes he can strike a deal with Kim Jong Un, so his potential return to the White House would be dangerous for Asia. Let alone that Pyongyang will never give up its nuclear program, it's likely that an agreement — if ever made — would see the US reducing its troops stationed in South Korea while allowing the North to make inconsequential concessions.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Cato Institute. It's a matter of fact that except in the event of a regime change, Pyongyang will never agree to fully denuclearize, so it's time to face reality and give up policies that left North Korea as an undisputed nuclear state. If Trump returns to the White House, he may continue to yield success on that challenge by setting realistic goals, including a deal.
