North Korea calls for US to drop 'hostility policy'
It is still premature to expect North Korea to return to nuclear talks with the U.S. anytime soon. Pyongyang, however, appears to be cautious in not totally ruling out any possibility of resuming dialogue with Washington before the November U.S. presidential election.
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Friday that another summit with the U.S. was “unnecessary” and “useless” for the North as long as there was no change in Washington's negotiating position. By saying so, she certainly intended to call for the U.S. to withdraw its “hostile policy” toward the North as a precondition for the resumption of nuclear negotiations which have been stalled since the Hanoi summit between the two countries in February 2019.
It is worth noting what she added: “We are not saying we are not going to denuclearize, but that we cannot denuclearize now.” Then she urged the U.S. to take “major steps.” Her remarks seemed to imply that Pyongyang would denuclearize if Washington changes its position toward the North.
The sister, the first vice department director of the Workers' Party Central Committee, also boasted of the strong personal relationship between Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump. She said her brother asked her to extend greetings, wishing Trump success in his endeavors. However she made it clear that the North would not adjust its U.S. strategies and nuclear plans based on the relationship with the American president.
One may say what she said all is nothing new. But it came after Trump said Tuesday that he was open to a meeting with Kim Jong-un. A U.S. broadcaster quoted Trump as saying, “I understand they want to meet and we would certainly do that.” He added, “I would do it if I thought it was going to be helpful.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also expressed hopes for a restart of the suspended talks with the North.
Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton predicted a third summit between Kim and Trump could take place as an “October surprise” right before the U.S. election. Trump, for his part, may seek such a meeting in a desperate bid to raise his re-election chances amid criticism over his poor performance in domestic affairs, including the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is important to revive the momentum for dialogue. The Kim regime should first resume working-level negotiations with the Trump administration to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula and restart the peace process. What's at stake is how to restore trust in each other. And first and foremost, the North should show its true intentions regarding denuclearization.