Korean foes prep confab as Pompeo-Kim sitdown bared
THEY’RE READY to give peace a chance.
North and South Korea are mulling plans to officially end the state of war that has existed on the Korean peninsula for the last 68 years, while it was revealed the U.S. has already engaged North Korea’s leader in face-to-face talks.
The leaders of South Korea and North Korea, which are technically still at war, are preparing for a historic meeting next week.
The U.S., meanwhile, has been in direct “high-level” talks with North Korea. The Washington Post reported CIA Director Mike Pompeo — who is Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State — met with Kim Jong Un over Easter weekend.
Ending the military tensions between the neighboring nations could become a major part of the summit between South Korea President Moon Jae-in and Kim (left to right, inset), the Munhwa Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unidentified South Korean official, according to Bloomberg News.
Pyongyang and Seoul have been at war since the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
President Trump confirmed the talks are progressing, adding that the countries “have my blessing” to discuss an end to the decades-long war.
He also took credit for the movement, saying, “Without us and without me, in particular, I guess you would have to say, they wouldn’t be discussing anything.”
The President — hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida this week — also said the U.S. and North Korea are speaking directly and at “extremely high levels” in advance of a potential meeting between Trump and Kim.
“We have had direct talks at very high levels, extremely high levels with North Korea.” Trump said.
The talk of peace on the Korea peninsula comes as Kim has also promised that denuclearization is on the table for the potential talks with Trump. Moon and Kim are slated to meet at the Freedom House in Panmunjom, a small village located in the heavily-guarded demilitarized zone separating the countries.
Kim has reportedly told South Korean officials that he would be willing to discuss giving up his nuclear weapons program if his government no longer felt threatened and its security was guaranteed.
“Ending the state of conflict is the core of the whole thing. Peace is as complicated as denuclearization,” John Delury, an associate professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul told Bloomberg News. “There also has to be a process of actually delivering the peace.”
Trump said Tuesday that five locations are being considered for his sitdown with Kim, though it’s “possible things won’t go well and we won’t have the meeting. We will see what happens.” He would be the first sitting U.S. President to meet with a North Korean leader.