ED Possible Trump-Kim meeting?
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and then-U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas in this June 30, 2019, photo. AP-Yonhap
US must consult closely with S. Korea based on mutual respect, alliance
The feasibility of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this time around is unlike the situation that led to their historic 2019 meeting at the truce village of Panmunjeom, located between the two Koreas.
Pyongyang is less isolated and more secure economically and diplomatically than before, as its coffers have been replenished by Moscow in return for arms exports and North Korean troops sent to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine. China has also tapped North Korea as a major partner nation amid its intensifying rivalry with the United States, as demonstrated by Kim's attendance at the September military parade in Beijing to mark 80 years since the end of World War II. On the other hand, Trump has more specific reasons for seeking a summit, as a meeting with the North Korean leader could boost his reputation, especially ahead of the U.S. midterm elections next November.
Nevertheless, both Kim and Trump have brought up their chemistry, and Trump has been mentioning meeting with Kim in earnest since August. CNN recently reported that Trump administration officials have privately discussed setting up a meeting between Trump and Kim. A domestic news outlet said that a U.S. team reportedly had been in Seoul to gauge the wind for another Trump-Kim round.
The general outlook for now, with less than two weeks before the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is that another face-to-face meeting seems less than likely. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said that Seoul was monitoring the situation but nothing has been confirmed so far. South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers Friday that there were “no signs yet” of a Trump-Kim meeting. Yet the unpredictability of the U.S. president's actions, as demonstrated over the years and in the past 10 months since his second inauguration, means anything could happen.
Preparations for just-in-case scenarios have also been reported. The United Nations Command has temporarily halted tours to the Joint Security Area of Panmunjeom for late October through early November.
In an apparent coincidence, acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun will leave his post Oct. 24, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul announced Monday. His successor is likely to be U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kevin Kim, also in an acting capacity. It's not often that an acting envoy role changes hands while preparations are underway for the U.S. president's visit to an event like an APEC summit. Moreover, the nominee's career trajectory notably includes involvement in the quick set-up of the 2019 meeting at Panmunjeom between the two countries' leaders.
That milestone event materialized after Trump tweeted a suggestion for a meeting with the North Korean leader while attending the G20 gathering held in June 2019 in Japan.
Efforts to hold dialogue for engagement and peace should be commended. In these uncertain times, with various wars taking place around the globe, governments should work toward measures to deescalate tension. This principle should hold even as North Korea continues to push for recognition of its nuclear program. In September, while emphasizing his good memories with Trump, Kim Jong-un said, “If the U.S. gives up its obsession with denuclearization, there’s no reason not to meet face to face.”
But Seoul officials — as well as their alliance partners in the United States — should ensure that South Korea is not isolated from global diplomatic matters regarding the North in any possible discussions between Washington and Pyongyang. The Lee Jae Myung administration has also clarified that it wants engagement with North Korea, even as Pyongyang continues to declare and uphold the idea that the two Koreas are separate nations.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was quoted recently as saying that if another Trump-Kim summit should materialize, Lee would not necessarily be in attendance. Fair enough, but that must not mean that inter-Korean affairs can simply bypass South Korea, an alliance partner to the U.S. and a central stakeholder in issues on the peninsula. Mutual respect is key to the alliance, but also in any dialogue between nations.