Shaky talks

Both US, N. Korea hint at changing summit plans

The planned June 12 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore is less than 20 days away. But it is unclear if the meeting will take place as scheduled, as both sides are hinting at either delaying or even scrapping the talks.

Choe Son-hui, North Korea’s vice minister of foreign affairs, lashed out at U.S. Vice President Mike Pence who threatened North Korea that it could end up with the Libyan model if “Kim Jong-un doesn’t make a deal.” U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton had also triggered Pyongyang’s fury for bringing up the denuclearization model of Libya.

In a statement released Thursday, Choe said she would make a suggestion to the supreme leadership to reconsider the summit with the U.S. “We will not beg for talks with the U.S.,” Choe said. “It depends totally on the U.S. whether we will meet at the discussion venue or at a nuclear face-off.” The North Korean diplomat’s statement expressed strong hostility toward the Libyan model and slammed Pence for mentioning it again after Bolton.

President Trump has also hinted at a change to the summit schedule amid rising concerns that Pyongyang is not ready to commit fully to denuclearization. Asked if the summit will proceed as planned, Trump said Wednesday, “It could very well happen. Whatever it is, we’ll know next week about Singapore.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. was prepared to walk away from the negotiations if the Trump-Kim meeting goes in the wrong direction. “A bad deal is not an option,” Pompeo said in a written opening statement for a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. “If the right deal is not on the table, we will respectfully walk away.”

Pompeo also reiterated there will be no easing of sanctions against North Korea until it gives up its nuclear program. “We have made zero concessions to Chairman Kim and have no intention to do so,” Pompeo said. "Our posture will not change until we see credible steps taken toward the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

Any change in the schedule of the U.S.-North Korea summit could negatively affect the momentum for peace initiated by President Moon Jae-in. The U.S. and North Korea should engage in active last-minute negotiations to finalize the summit topics and minimize the gap on key issues to ensure a fruitful meeting that will lead to peace on the Korean Peninsula.