Time to resume dialogue

Kim should prove promise with concrete action

President Moon Jaein last week wrapped up his eight-day visit to three Scandinavian countries ― Finland, Norway and Sweden ― delivering a clear message of the desire for peace and dialogue with North Korea. His message reflected how much he wants to see the resumption of the stalled denuclearization talks between the North and U.S.

Moon made his peace initiative pitch for the North's denuclearization ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to Seoul on June 29 and 30, after attending the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. He has stressed the need for a fourth summit with North Korean leader Kim Jongun before he meets with Trump. Moon made clear his intention of brokering another summit between Kim and Trump, following the collapse of the denuclearization talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, in late February.

As Moon repeatedly said in Oslo and Stockholm, North Korea cannot move toward peace and prosperity without denuclearization. Speaking at the Oslo Forum, he emphasized the importance of "peace for people" in which people on both sides of the divided nation can enjoy a peace dividend.

Giving an address at the Swedish parliament, Moon promised to take the "Swedish model" in which the European country gave up nuclear weapons and took the path of peace and prosperity. He said, "It is dialogue, not nuclear arms, that will keep North Korea secure." He did not forget to call on the North to prove its denuclearization commitment through concrete actions.

Moon also presented a roadmap for a peace settlement process on the peninsula. He said it was necessary for the North and the U.S. to hold working-level negotiations to make progress in their denuclearization talks. This is raising some expectations that both sides may resume dialogue when U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun comes to Seoul before Trump's visit here for the summit with Moon.

Now the ball is in North Korea's court. The Kim regime has yet to respond to any offers of dialogue from Seoul and Washington. It has only stuck to its hardline position that the U.S. should first lift or ease U.N. sanctions on the North. Kim must realize it will be difficult to break the deadlock if he continues to demand sanctions relief without taking any meaningful action to dismantle his nuclear arsenal.

Kim seems to believe Trump will give in to his call for a sanctions rollback probably toward the end of the year, before the U.S. president starts his campaign for re-election in 2020. It would be a mistake for him to do so. This could only spread skepticism that North Korea will never abandon its nuclear program, although Trump is still optimistic about his personal ties with Kim and his promise to denuclearize.

We urge the Kim regime not to drag its feet anymore. Pyongyang should return to the negotiating table immediately to discuss the terms of its denuclearization in return for security guarantees. Most of all, the North must make sincere efforts to build trust with the international community by making good on its denuclearization commitment.