After meeting in a dramatic summit July 12 in Singapore, Malaysia, North Korea called on the U.N. and U.S. to end crippling sanctions, leaving the 25.7 million-nation in economic ruins. When President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un ended their summit, both agreed to work on confidence-building measures. Kim agreed to repatriate the remains of U.S. Korean War veterans and to stop nuke and dismantle a nuclear testing site. Trump agreed to work toward ending U.N. and U.S. sanctions, if Kim agreed to fulfill his promise to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Raising red flags, a U.N. report indicated that Kim’s regime continued its work on nukes and ballistic missiles, including illicit trade to circumvent sanctions in oil, coal and other commodities. Since the July 12 summit, differences appear over what both sides meant by confidence-building measures.
North Korea hoped that the U.S. would work with officials on ending the 65-year-old Korean War that ended in an armistice July 27, 1953, not a peace treaty. Kim hoped that peace treaty would pave the way for eventual disarmament, though it’s not clear what he thinks denuclearization means. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been the White House point person on North Korea, dealing with press criticism that the summit didn’t produce the promised results. North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said the White House has not followed up with the confidence-building measure needed to begin the process of denuclearization. Asking for “simultaneous actions and phased steps,” Ri wanted a peace treaty to precede nuclear disarmament but also wanted Trump to start easing North Korean sanctions. Pompeo insists that complete denuclearization must take place for sanctions relief.
Ri told the official Yonghap news agency that Washington “retreated” from confidence-building measures promised at the July 12 summit. Based on Ri’s remarks, it’s clear that Kim expected Trump to start working on a peace treaty, then end U.S. and U.N. sanctions, before the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea [DPRK] began the process of disarming its nukes and ballistic missiles. Korean experts from Asia and the U.S. are skeptical of Kim’s promise to denuclearize, citing past diplomatic failures. With the stakes much higher and North Korea in financial ruins, you’d think the Stalinsist regime would be more inclined to disarm. “There have been outrageous arguments coming of the U.S. State Department that it won’t ease sanctions until a denucleariization is completed, and reinforcing sanctions is a way to raise the negotiation power,” said the Rondong Sinmum newspaper.
Bridging difference with Kim’s regime won’t be easy for Trump, whose stated goal is disarming Kim’s nukes and ballistic missiles. “One of the things that hasn’t happened is the demonstrable moves toward denuclearization before we can entertain something like end-of-war declaration,” said Adm. Harry Harris, Seoul’s new U.S. ambassador. Yet circular reasoning at the State Department doesn’t seem to move the diplomacy needle. If the U.S. wished for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it needs to give a little to bring about peace. Giving Kim a peace treaty before North Korea takes concrete steps to disarm its nukes and ballistic missiles isn’t a bad idea. Ending certain crippling sanctions would be the kind of gesture that could galvanize Kim to start shutting down his nuke and missile programs. Working on a peace treaty would be a good confidence-building step.
South Korea’s Foreign Minster Kang Kyung-wha said her country remains committed to July 12 peace talks, including finding a way to end the Korean War with a peace treaty. “I think the U.N. general Assembly to be held in September is an important opportunity,” Kang said. “We are having close consultations [with partners countries],” expressing hope that the goodwill started at the July 12 summit could lead to closer ties between the DPRK, the U.S. and South Korea. Pompeo should seriously reconsider the demand that disarmament happen first before a peace treaty. Kim’s confidence-building measures expected the allies to offer a peace treaty to get North Korea disarmament talks on track. Trump and Pompeo’s demand that sanctions relief follows disarmament may not work with North Korea. If the U.S. consummates a peace treaty, disarmament should follow soon after.
Calling the current U.S. approach to disarmament and peace “anachronistic,” the DPRK wants to see some sanctions relief before it starts disarming its nukes and ballistic missiles. Demanding that Kim disarm first before the U.S. can build rapport seems unrealistic. If the U.S. ends some North Korean sanctions first, it’ll go along way in getting the peace process on track. South Korea wants the U.S. to make whatever concessions are necessary to get a lasting peace treaty with the DPRK. Kang believes a peace treaty and sanctions relief would bring about Pyongyang’s disarmament, not making unilateral demands. Part of Kim’s face-saving measures involve winning sanctions relief before he’s willing to let go of his nukes and ballistic missiles. Confidence-building to achieve as lasting peace involves more than threatening new sanctions until Kim eventually backs down.
