Concluding another ambiguous agreement over the denuclearization of North Korea must be avoided. The United States needs to carefully ascertain whether it can definitely secure tangible results.
The U.S. government has announced that the second summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held around the end of February. The two leaders have exchanged letters, and working-level talks between representatives from Washington and Pyongyang were recently held in Sweden.
At the first summit talks held in June, Trump and Kim only agreed to work toward "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." To lead the second meeting to success, it is indispensable to have a full understanding of nuclear weapons and related facilities in North Korea, and to work toward compiling a road map for Pyongyang to completely dismantle them.
If no progress is made at working-level preparations over the next one-month period, the United States should consider postponing the planned summit meeting.
It is concerning that Trump has adhered completely to optimistic views from the beginning. Citing Pyongyang's halt in conducting nuclear tests and launching ballistic missiles, the U.S. president has said he believes there are substantial results even under the current situation.
Trump's good relationship with Kim has certainly eased tensions on the Korean Peninsula. However, it must be said that the current situation is far from the strategy of Washington, which has been demanding the complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea.
Close coordination needed
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said the ultimate objective would be "the security of American people." His remarks could be taken to mean that Washington gives priority to dismantling intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
North Korea insists that it has completed ICBMs, but technologies that would enable atmospheric reentry and the miniaturization of a warhead loaded onto a missile are yet to be verified. If its ICBMs are still incomplete, dismantling them should not be a major blow for Pyongyang.
The final goal is to eliminate threats from all weapons of mass destruction, including medium- and short-range ballistic missiles, and establish peace and stability in Northeast Asia. The Japanese government should closely coordinate in advance to prevent Trump from easily agreeing to compromise.
Kim reportedly spoke highly of the fact that Trump expressed his determination and will to resolve the issue in a letter recently delivered to Kim. Kim is clearly trying to obtain an agreement favorable to his country by utilizing the ties between the two leaders.
Pyongyang will probably demand the easing of economic sanctions, an end to U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and approval of an inter-Korean economic cooperation project, while maintaining its nuclear program.
Countries concerned must heighten their vigilance to prevent North Korea from leading the negotiations over denuclearization and only accelerating talks focused on rewarding Pyongyang.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 27, 2019)
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