Kim might need to salvage meeting

SEOUL, South Korea —

Ever since Kim Jong Un took over as the young, untested ruler of North Korea seven years ago, he has promised his country a future free from deprivation.

In his first speech as leader, he vowed that North Koreans, millions of whom starved during a famine in the 1990s, would never again have to tighten their belts. Last year, he apologized to the nation for failing to live up to that pledge, expressing how “anxious and remorseful” it made him.

Then, this year, he proclaimed a new shift to North Korea’s 25 million people: Now that the nation possessed a nuclear arsenal, it could change gears and start building a prosperous economy after years of international sanctions.

So when President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly canceled their eagerly awaited summit meeting June 12, the North Korean response was remarkably diplomatic and cordial, holding open the hope that the meeting could still take place. Kim also held an unexpected meeting Saturday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss how to salvage the summit meeting with Trump.

It was a strong reminder, analysts said, that Kim not only wants a diplomatic deal with the U.S. He may need one.

“North Korea can still survive under sanctions, especially if China helps it,” said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. “But as long as sanctions are there, Kim Jong Un can never deliver the kind of rapid economic growth he has promised for his people.”

Kim’s stated desire to continue engaging with Trump — even after such a high-profile snub — does not necessarily mean that the North Korean leader is willing to renounce his nuclear arsenal, the primary U.S. demand.

No matter how painful sanctions may be, analysts say, Kim would be unwilling to give up his nuclear weapons unless an accord left him feeling completely safe without them. The security of his family-run regime is non-negotiable.

North Korea has emphasized that it wants security guarantees and will not trade its nuclear arsenal for economic benefits alone. It has also rejected assertions that it has been pressured into talks because of the pain of sanctions, adding that it does not expect help from the U.S. in pursuing economic development.