Is Kim Jong Un the rational one?

Re “Kim blunts heady talk on summit,” May 17

If diplomacy is a game of give-and-take, then there shouldn’t be anything unpredictable about North Korean leader Kim Jon Un’s threat to pull out of the planned June 12 summit with President Trump.

While the Trump administration has dangled economic aid in exchange for North Korean denuclearization, Kim has done much more: His country cooperated with South Korea at the Pyeongchang Winter Games, he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and three prisoners were returned to the U.S.

On top of this, the U.S. and South Korea conducted joint military exercises recently. This should be a lesson for Trump and his followers to learn about diplomacy. Do Huu Chi

Garden Grove

The dark cloud that looms over the scheduled meeting is Trump crowing to his supporters that North Korea must kowtow to him because of our military superiority. In this poker game, Trump does not hold four aces, and Kim has a better hand than he is getting credit for.

With all the dangerous circumstances related to Iran and Syria, Trump doesn’t need escalating trouble on both fronts. Hopefully all the participants in the scheduled meeting will be entitled to share a Nobel Peace Prize. Ken Hense

El Segundo

I wonder if it occurred to this administration to suggest putting off the joint military exercise.

If Kim is serious about wanting to end the Korean War, which is still officially ongoing, and joining the community of nations, there is reason to celebrate. But by holding this joint exercise, known to be an irritant to the North Koreans, it seems that we do not understand what we are doing. Paul Cooley

Culver City