Kim will dismantle main nuke complex if U.S. takes steps, too
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA » The two Korean leaders took to the road for the final day of their summit today, heading to a beautiful volcano considered sacred in the North and used in its propaganda to legitimize the Kims’ three generations of rule. Their trip followed a day of wide-ranging agreements they trumpeted as a major step toward peace on the Korean Peninsula.
However, their premier accord on the issue most fascinating and worrisome — the North’s pursuit of nuclear-tipped missiles that can accurately strike the U.S. mainland — contained a big condition: Kim Jong Un said he would permanently dismantle North Korea’s main nuclear complex only if the United States takes unspecified corresponding measures.
Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in flew separately to an airport near Mount Paektu this morning where they met up and drove to the mountain on the North Korean-Chinese border. Members of the Kim family are referred to as sharing the “Paektu Bloodline.” The volcano topped with a deep crater lake is also emblazoned on the national emblem and lends its name to everything from rockets to power stations.
Moon plans to return to South Korea today, but the leaders are still basking in the glow of the joint statement they settled Wednesday. Compared to the vague language of their two earlier summits, Kim and Moon seem to have agreed on an ambitious program meant to tackle soaring tensions last year that had many fearing war as the North tested a string of increasingly powerful weapons.
Kim promised to accept international inspectors to monitor the closing of a key missile test site and launch pad and to visit Seoul soon, and both leaders vowed to work together to try to host the Summer Olympics in 2032.
But while containing several tantalizing offers, their joint statement appeared to fall short of the major steps many in Washington have been looking for: Such as a commitment by Kim to provide a list of North Korea’s nuclear facilities, a solid step-by-step timeline for closing them down, or an agreement to allow international inspectors to assess progress or discover violations.
It also was unclear what “corresponding steps” North Korea wants from the U.S. to dismantle its nuclear site.
The question is whether it will be enough for President Donald Trump to pick up where Moon has left off. Trump told reporters Wednesday that the outcome of the summit was “very good news” and that “we’re making tremendous progress” with North Korea. He didn’t indicate in his brief remarks whether the U.S. would be willing to take further steps to encourage North Korean action on denuclearization.
Declaring they had made a major step toward peace, Moon and Kim stood side by side Wednesday as they announced their agreement.
“We have agreed to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace that is free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threat,” Kim said.
Moon urged unity for all Koreans.