Ever wonder just what Kim Jong Un might mean by the term denuclearization? Georgy Toloraya on 38 North elucidates:
Among these presumptions, the one concerning denuclearization is the most dubious, simply because the meaning of the word is understood differently by North Korea and the United States and other parties who at some point would be involved in negotiations.
The North Koreans have a much more comprehensive understanding of “denuclearization.”Kim Jong Un reportedly told South Korean envoys last month that he’s for denuclearization of Korean peninsula (including the South), and reaffirmed during his recent trip to China that: “It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearization on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il.” This formula was again repeated by Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho during his recent visit to Russia.
But this is hardly anything new. North Korea has repeatedly stated that denuclearization is a global concept and Pyongyang will relinquish its nuclear weapons in the context of complete and general nuclear disarmament. They have told Russian experts that for years, the DPRK was the only country in Northeast Asia without a “nuclear umbrella,” but now the situation is one of “equality” and they are ready to solve the problem amicably within a regional framework.
So does this mean they expect world-wide nuclear disarmament? Or just the peninsula?
Georgy’s remark about what might happen if Trump is unprepared makes me positively ill – because we know he won’t be prepared.
My recent meetings with North Korean government representatives indicate they are seriously preparing for the dialogue and probably have developed a plan that would involve concessions and compromises based on the principle of action-for-action. However, the Trump administration does not yet appear to have a clear roadmap in mind, apart from the blunt demand of “denuclearize or else.” There is danger that without a proposal of its own to put on the table, the US might get caught flatfooted against at more prepared Pyongyang. If the summit ends up as a failure, then the United States and North Korea may go back to where they were before the North launched its peace offensive in early January.
Trump wouldn’t admit to it, of course. We’d have to await evaluation by 3rd party experts.
