Kim may be willing to negotiate on nukes
N. Korea leader reportedly ready to deal with U.S.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has told South Korean envoys he is willing to negotiate with the United States on abandoning his country’s nuclear weapons, officials from the South said on Tuesday. Kim also said he would suspend all nuclear and missile tests while such talks were underway, they said.
President Donald Trump reacted with guarded optimism to the news, which potentially represented a major defusing of one of the world’s tensest confrontations.
During the envoys’ twoday visit to Pyongyang, the North’s capital, which ended Tuesday, the two Koreas also agreed to hold a sum-
mit meeting between Kim and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea on the countries’ border in late April, Moon’s office said in a statement.
“The North Korean side clearly stated its willingness to denuclearize,” the statement said. “It made it clear that it would have no reason to keep nuclear weapons if the military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed.”
If the statement is corroborated by North Korea, it would be the first time Kim has indicated that his government is willing to discuss relinquishing nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees from the United States. Until now, North Korea has said its nuclear weapons were not for bargaining away.
“The North expressed its willingness to hold a heartfelt dialogue with the United States on the issues of denuclearization and normalizing relations with the United States,” the statement said. “It made it clear that while dialogue is continuing, it will not attempt any strategic provocations, such as nuclear and ballistic missile tests.”
On Twitter, Trump welcomed what he called “possible progress.”
“For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned,” Trump said. “The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!”
Trump expounded on his reaction later to reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven of Sweden. “We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea,” Trump said. “The statements coming out of South Korea and North Korea have been very positive. That would be a great thing for the world.”
Asked if he would meet with Kim, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens.”
The South Korean statement said the two Koreas would begin working-level discussions to prepare for the summit meeting, to be held in the Peace House, a South Korean building in Panmunjom, the so-called truce village that straddles the border. Before Kim and Moon meet, the countries will install, for the first time, a hotline by which the leaders can talk on the phone directly, the statement said.
The statement gave no indication that North Korea would start dismantling nuclear or missile programs anytime soon. Nonetheless, the reported agreements represented major progress in Moon’s efforts to improve relations with North Korea. Those efforts advanced considerably during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, to which Kim sent athletes, entertainers and political delegations that included his sister.
The top South Korean envoys who returned from North Korea on Tuesday are expected to be dispatched to Washington this week to brief Trump on their discussions with Kim.
Moon’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, told reporters that Kim had been unexpectedly flexible. He said the delegation had expected him to insist that the South and the United States not hold their annual joint military exercises, which were suspended for the Olympics.
“Kim Jong Un simply said he could understand why the joint exercises must resume in April on the same scale as before,” Chung said. “But he said he expected them to be readjusted if the situation on the Korean Peninsula stabilizes in the future.”
Chung said the South Koreans believed their agreements with North Korea would be enough to start a dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.