The US/North Korea summit

ON June 12, President Donald Trump of the United States met with Kim Jong-un of the Republic of North Korea. The meeting drew international attention because an explosion in the hostile relations between the two leaders preceded it. In a series of harsh verbal exchanges between the two leaders following several missile tests by Pyongyang, Trump threatened North Korea with nuclear war in 2017. Thus, the summit marked a dramatic turn in the rhetoric of the two leaders and a plus for world peace.

The summit  was  seen as a more constructive path to discuss North Korea’s nuclear programme and the future of the US-North Korean relations, an important element in the pursuit of global peace and security. The meeting, which was deftly brokered by the South Korean leader, Moon Jae-in, was held in Singapore. Although the meeting fell short of expectations in terms of concrete issues discussed and agreements reached, it has reduced the risk of an accidental or unintended slide into war.

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The simple act of talking has changed the perception of US-North Korea relations in ways that make conflict far less likely. The joint statement issued from the meeting contains polite diplomatic platitudes required to keep the talks going and to keep both countries engaged in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Furthermore, Trump made a concession that the United States will suspend its joint military exercises with South Korea while North Korea freezes its weapons tests. These moves will reduce tension and create space for more meaningful discussions and concessions. Going   forward, both  leaders  will have to address three interconnected issues: denuclearisation, security normalisation and economic normalisation which would benefit the world. Further engagements should seek to clarify what these issue actually mean in practice and decide on the timeline for implementation.

We call on both leaders not to renege on the pledges they have made so far, even as insignificant as they may appear.  This is important because it seems that President Trump was forced to the table by Pyonyang’s development of nuclear weapons and missiles that can reach the United States. Also, Kim’s human rights record has not been an issue. This may eventually come up.

Besides, by cancelling the Iran nuclear deal despite the sustained Iranian compliance, and by reneging on agreements even with long-term allies as shown in the withdrawal from Trans-pacific partnership and the recent G7 debacle, President Trump has deepened suspicion that the United States cannot be trusted to keep agreements.