After Korean summit, time for Trump to meet Kim
North, South say they share goal of phased nuclear disarmament
The historic summit between North and South Korean leaders was short on specifics, but that might be a good thing for President Donald Trump as he prepares for his own unprecedented meeting with Kim Jong Un.
The meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim, ruler of the North, produced plenty of goodwill that the Trump administration can build on, but it avoided any clearly defined agreements that could box in the U.S. administration.
A joint statement after the Korean meeting pledged to pursue denuclearization, the key issue for the U.S., but didn’t explain how to achieve it.
The two countries “confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclearfree Korean Peninsula,” according to the statement signed by Moon and Kim.
The statement pledged to “carry out disarmament in a phased manner, as military tension is alleviated and substantial progress is made in military confidence-building.”
The statement doesn’t spell out timelines, an inspection regimen or other details that have doomed previous agreements with North Korea.
“Unless a firm foundation and plan for North Korea’s complete, verified, irreversible nuclear disarmament is laid out with a relatively short schedule, two to three years, most of the other commitments in the declaration are merely wishes,” said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security.
Those details will need to be filled in, but Kim’s commitment to denuclearization is a first step that might set favorable conditions for negotiations with Trump, analysts said.
The promise is significant, said Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, a website that tracks developments in North Korea. “It’s on paper,” she said. “He signed it.”
Moon, the driving force behind efforts to reduce tensions with North Korea, avoided U.S. fears that he might make concessions, such as agreeing to a joint economic zone with the North.
Trump hailed the summit on Twitter on Friday morning. “After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!” he said.
Later Friday, Trump praised the summit during a White House ceremony for Olympic athletes.
“I want to express my hope that all of the people of Korea – North Korea and South – can someday live in harmony, prosperity and peace, and it looks like it could happen,” Trump said.
Trump and Kim did not set a date or time for their meeting, but it is likely to be in May or June.